Switch off your answering machine ...

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Judith Archbold — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 10:50:08 GMT

If I’m in a consult and the client answers their mobile and starts chatting I just walk out the room “ leaving them to their privacy” and start seeing another client etc. After about 5 minutes they emerge from the room to look for me . I feel it makes a point without wasting any words.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Bob Russell — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 10:08:39 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] There are so many times I'm getting calls from family and friends I don't want to miss them. [/quote]

For what though? Anything urgent?

I genuinely feel we are tied to these devices and the more you use one, the more people expect you to be available, in essence it feeds itself. Result you end up discussing the price of beans in Tescos. Don't believe that, hang about any supermarket and there are lots of people at it.

My pet hate is talking to someone and their mobile rings and they answer it, it's saying that person is more important.

Neil (AKA Victor Meldrew)

[/quote]

if someone answers a mobile phone in the consulting room I just keep talking as normal. They can choose to listen to me (paying for the pleasure) or their phone call. A few people need to answer for work, they get a little more leniency. I might be in a similar position at any stage.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

bevs2251 — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 00:35:23 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]I went for blood tests a couple of years ago, got no results, but was sent a prescription for folic acid, which I ignored . It was only when I was reading something the other week, and it mentioned symptoms of folic acid deficiency and I realised I had them....! But because no one ever called me or explained it to me, and there was no follow up I assumed it wasn't actually important! (and I'm supposed to be medically astute!! [/quote]

Docs won't call you with path results. You have to make another appointment, and pay again (not a recheck fee either - full price !). We call/text/email owners with results - all under the initial fees charged (presumably) + our time in doing so. Surprised Docs sent out a prescription via post without insisting on another consultation. I get copies of all my test results.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Julie Innes — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 14:47:00 GMT

We text our booster reminders via Skype, so it would be a possibility....but I find owners generally want to discuss lab results. The first question is often "so what does that mean?" and I prefer being able to explain and answer questions.

I went for blood tests a couple of years ago, got no results, but was sent a prescription for folic acid, which I ignored . It was only when I was reading something the other week, and it mentioned symptoms of folic acid deficiency and I realised I had them....! But because no one ever called me or explained it to me, and there was no follow up I assumed it wasn't actually important! (and I'm supposed to be medically astute!! )

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Rob Loxley — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:37:11 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]

[quote user="robloxley"]You can SMS them with your message[/quote]

I could, but I do try to limit the number of clients who have my mobile number!

[/quote]

Ah, we SMS clients from the practice management system so no worries there.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 11:29:58 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]People without answerphones are the bane of my life. I often have half an hour in my working day to return all my clients' calls and ring with blood results etc. [/quote]I tell them to call us for results - problem solved.

[quote user="robloxley"]You can SMS them with your message; more and more I find email a good way to communicate with clients. [/quote]

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Why don't vets use E Mail more to report/communicate with clients? [/quote]

Be careful you're not falling foul of GDPR!

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 09:26:51 GMT

Why don't vets use E Mail more to report/communicate with clients? You can copy/paste onto records etc.

I use it all the time for the cycling trips (over 150 people a year) and it's incredibly useful as everything is written so you avoid the 'you said that' issues and if I'm not sure I've told someone about the need to take something or apply for a visa I have it in writing.

The only disadvantage would be the 'E mail consult', but I rarely get involved in E Mail ping pong.

Neil

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

bevs2251 — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:50:52 GMT

I still have a home phone with an answering machine message as well as mobile voicemail. If I don't recognise the number, I don't answer it. If they don't leave a message (especially calls at dinner time), then I know it is probably a telemarketer. If they really want to get in touch with me, then leave a message (or text on the mobile). Usually, it will be family of friends so might be urgent.

I find it annoying when there is no voicemail option and you are calling from work with results or updates. If you don't have their email address, how do you get in contact ? I'm not going to use my own mobile to send a text. I always add a new history with the date and time of call. If the owner complains there has been no contact, it is all there documented in the history.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Wren — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 21:58:12 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]You can SMS them with your message; more and more I find email a good way to communicate with clients. "Phone tennis" is a dull pastime... [/quote]

I could, but I do try to limit the number of clients who have my mobile number! If I'm going for non-verbal then I prefer email.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Clive Ansell — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 20:52:30 GMT

PITA. I have voicemail facility on my mobile, but don't have a answerphone machine on my landline at home.

Much prefer text messages or preferably email.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Rob Loxley — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 19:03:03 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]People without answerphones are the bane of my life. I often have half an hour in my working day to return all my clients' calls and ring with blood results etc. If there is no answer and no facility to leave a message then I need to try to find a gap (and remember to find a gap!) later in the day to chase them up. If I can leave them a message then that's either job done (if it's an answer to a simple query, or a straight forward blood result), or I can leave a message saying " I did try to contact you, I will be in my office at X o'clock, please try me then".[/quote]

You can SMS them with your message; more and more I find email a good way to communicate with clients. "Phone tennis" is a dull pastime...

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Elisabeth Knappett — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 18:39:10 GMT

Mine too!

But... I've found if I leave a message we invariably get a phone call back saying they've missed a call from our number, what do we want - not helpful! The response to listen to the message is always met with 'but they've just called, surely they're free to speak to me now!'. Or there is an angry call a few days later saying we haven't contacted them (despite many messages) and absolute denial that we could possibly have called as they would have seen a missed call. So I find leaving messages ends up making more work than just trying again later! Have also started asking clients for email addresses to send results or replies to - seems to work well so far - means they can access at their convenience and I can reply at mine, or call back if necessary.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Wren — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 18:03:17 GMT

People without answerphones are the bane of my life. I often have half an hour in my working day to return all my clients' calls and ring with blood results etc. If there is no answer and no facility to leave a message then I need to try to find a gap (and remember to find a gap!) later in the day to chase them up. If I can leave them a message then that's either job done (if it's an answer to a simple query, or a straight forward blood result), or I can leave a message saying " I did try to contact you, I will be in my office at X o'clock, please try me then".

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 17:10:17 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]For what though? Anything urgent?[/quote]Rarely urgent but usually (relatively) important. eg daughter last night was coming back from France on Eurostar and wanted picking up from a local station, she called to give her eta. She's 28 and you could argue that she could sort her transport out herself but we are a supportive family, I missed her call so she left a voice mail. It worked.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 16:53:08 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]My pet hate is talking to someone and their mobile rings and they answer it, it's saying that person is more important.[/quote]

Oh yes, how I agree. It's very rude.

If I'm in a consultation and the client's phone rings (or, more likely, lets off some embarrassingly hideous "ringtone") I'll let them answer it to say "can't talk now, I'm in the vets" but if they start a conversation I just walk out and go and do something else.

I used to have a recorded message on my private ex-directory phone that said "If you are selling something, please go and hang yourself. Otherwise you can leave a message but you'd do better to try again later" Nobody was supposed to have this number, but it was astonishing how many calls came in: all junk.

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]I genuinely feel we are tied to these devices and the more you use one, the more people expect you to be available, in essence it feeds itself. [/quote]

In a nutshell.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Claire Godfrey — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 15:45:22 GMT

I nor my husband have had an answer phone for at least 5 years, turned mine off as the only person using is was my mobile provider, who then charged me for retrieving the message.

Also not the first person I would think of doing this but if he can.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44346270

I do love leaving the phone at home sometimes.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Neil Wheadon — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 14:04:44 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] There are so many times I'm getting calls from family and friends I don't want to miss them. [/quote]

For what though? Anything urgent?

My pet hate is talking to someone and their mobile rings and they answer it, it's saying that person is more important.

Neil (AKA Victor Meldrew)

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 13:19:50 GMT

Apart from never bothering to listen to voicemail on the home landline because I forget, I really don't know why anyone has an issue with answering mobile voicemail. There are so many times I'm getting calls from family and friends I don't want to miss them.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:30:54 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]No need to pick up as it cannot be for us!!![/quote]

Oh but it is for you, it is a Microsoft technician with a strangely Indian-sounding accent ringing to tell you that you have a problem with Windows.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Bob Russell — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:29:06 GMT

Due to an OpenReach cock up we had to change our home phone number. I don't even know the number.

Had a phone call last night. No need to pick up as it cannot be for us!!!

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

John Alborough — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:22:00 GMT

How many people have "answering machines" these days? :)

I do have Voicemail though....

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:15:35 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]If people want me, then call the landline in the evening or use E mail, the latter is great as I deal with things in my own time.[/quote]

Wish I could convert my wife to that train of thought ... she drops everything to reply to an email. Far less stressful, I think, to say: "it can wait."

Anyway, perhaps my OP wasn't such a daft one after all.

I wonder if we can think of ten little things which can make life a bit more relaxed for a vet.

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Neil Wheadon — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:35:08 GMT

I don't use an answering machine and I don't carry a mobile phone. If people want me, then call the landline in the evening or use E mail, the latter is great as I deal with things in my own time.

The only time I had a message on the mobile basically said 'don't bother leaving a message because I won't return your call'

I've reached 53, am employed and it's great, yes I get the odd grumble that I can't be contacted but the trade off is well worth it. Go on try it, liberation (but then again I was never sucked into the 'I'm available 24/7 anyway)

Neil

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Sarah Keir — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:26:48 GMT

Switch off answering machine unless it is the practice phone for out of hours!

RE: Switch off your answering machine ...

Jill Butterworth — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:14:57 GMT

Not quite the same, but switching on the answer machine after a day at work can literally make me skip with glee...