You may want to consider a friend or relative of yours (who is familiar with home inspections) to answer your business line while your in the doctors office.
Phone answering services don’t know squat about home inspections and will only take messages for you or (if your lucky) book the inspection(s). Again, HI prospects want answers immediately. They will not wait for you to return their call. Unless of course, they were referred to you by past clients and only want you to perform the inspection.
The first you put on your reports should existing clients want to contact you about their report. You can also give it to your accountant, vendors, your bookie, your wife, your girlfriend, and your other girlfriend. They can leave a message.
The other phone number (your cell phone) should be reserved for new business only: your website, brochures and ads. This is the one you answer when it rings.
Sorry to say but…I leave my phone in my truck when doing inspections and tell my client (if they are there) that I will be taking a break for some private time during my inspection…(great time to hand them the measuring tape)…so that I can take some notes. Thats when I answer the calls from which I have fowarded from my office. Some folks will say “dont answer your phone”…I say its OK if you are not in a current conversation or consult with the client. How many RE’s answer their phone while you are doing the inspection???
Just about the only time I don’t answer my phone is if I am in a crawlspace; and occasionally in an attic. I also carry a blue tooth with me most times, so I will answer it about anywhere on an inspection. Phones are too vital a piece of our equipment to not answer them. Wendy, you might get good at customizing your voice mail to say, I am away from the phone for about an hour and I will call you back as soon as I am available" or something like that. I see several people who use the daily update of I am in the office today, but please leave a message, etc.
