How do you keep in touch?

[Stinger]

What do you use to take messages and communicate with your customers? ie: cell phone, pager, voice mail, home phone, answering machine, secetary at office, answering service, etc. There are several options depending upon the size of business and # of calls you recieve daily. Just wanted to see what you guys like using the best.

[ant]

answer mechine.and if we are on the line we have a answer call service from our phone co. (4.00) per mo. that will record a message while we are on the phone.its a nice thing. durning the day i check my answer mechine (that has toll saver) from my cel phone and make almost 100% of my return calls durning the day.
anthony

[LoneStarLawn]

We use a cell phone that is with us all the time. (There is just two of us) When we are working our voice mail picks up any missed calls. Who knows what we will use when we get bigger.

[bob]

I have an answering machine at home and carry a cell phone all the time. I only give the cell phone # to certain customers. I don't want Mrs. Old Woman customer to have it.

[OBRYANMAINT]

my pager is linked up to my voice mail so it pages when there is a message and i can call back immediately customers really seem to appreciate the instant call back and that is what the technology is for any way

[landscaper3]

Cell phone, answering machine and emergency service a cheap $12 month pager.

[lawnMaster5000]

i have a cell phone w/ caller ID i only answer when i know who it is i.e. friends. all other calls go to voice mail which i can instatly check and return if i want.

[plymouthvaliant73]

Cell Phone.

I like to answer calls as they come in to get the business done right there and then when the customer makes the call. No returning calls or pages, no answering machines, no phone tag. Mine has caller id included, I have ignored every telemarketer since I began the service.

[GroundKprs]

Customers get one phone #, our business line, but it has call forwarding.
Daytime it is usually forwarded to pager/voicemail; we get pager notification of a message. (Some customers, friends, & suppliers know this is pager/voicemail, most just take it as answering machine. Those who know can just put in phone #, and I have a numerical list of phone #'s in truck.)
In early morning, out working (no machines) and expecting a call, have it forwarded to cell phone worn on belt.
Evenings, if feel like taking calls, forward to home.

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

my system is strictly voicemail...it will even take a call while im online such as now....cell phones are to unreliable, u dont want to be talking to a customer or getting info on a new account and the stupid phone hangs up on them cuz u arent getting reception...Very unprofessional

when i get biger maybe in to years i plan to get a secretary

[MOW ED]

Answering machine and e-mail if they want. Otherwise the C.E.O. of the company (my wife) answers the calls and contacts me by cell.

[Toddppm]

I've got an answering service that answers 24-7, they are very good, most people think it's my wife or secretary. I checked out every one of them around here first, some of them will tell you it's only an answering service if you ask them a question.I'd fire this company in a minute if they did that! They leave me a message , that i call and check when i have time during the day. Have the cell phone all day, i give the number out to every customer that calls, noones abused it yet, i think they usually misplace the number cause they always call the ans. service and leave a message, i don't print my cell # on cards or contracts.

[Grasscape Inc]

answering machine, answering service, pager, 3 cell phones,
secretary, standard business line, 2nd line, toll-free number.

[Stinger]

Wow, maybe one day I'll grow to be like Grasscape Inc.

[bob]

Another way we keep in touch is smoke signals. Put some oil on muffler and make your own smoke. Wave blanket over smoke and communicate.

[southside]

Phone/fax/answering machine at home and mobile phone on the
job(cell). Mobile also has voicemail.

Karl

[jaclawn]

We'es be on the C.B. raido, channel 19. Breaker Breaker good buddy... My customers know my handle.

[cos]

That was a big mistake to give out my pager number one year cause people would page for any old thing. I didn't have a cell at the time so it was so frustrating. I dont think i will give out the cel # this year to just any body but I will call forward all calls from office to cell, or I might hire and answering service and have her screen all important calls and get in touch with me so my cell bill don't hit the roof.

Best Wishes

[Stinger]

Thank you for the input, we will still be using cell phones like most of you stated. It will be interesting to see what technonogy the future holds.

[thelawnguy]

I have caller ID and call forwarding after 4 rings with my cel phone, so if the caller is someone I dont want to talk with they get forwarded to the answering machine in the office.