Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Forums

Contractors NOT returning phone calls

Jump to Latest
1 - 20 of 61 Posts

Unger.const

· Registered
Joined
·
1,652 Posts
Discussion starter · #1 ·
No matter how busy I am. And even if someone calls and leaves a msg needing the stupidest things estimated. At the very least I return a phone call letting them know I can't get to it regardless of what the project is.

I'm gobsmacked at how many times I hear that no one will return a phone call. Especially after someone comes out gives them a quote or agrees to do the job. What have you. Then doesn't return a call after the customer calls three or more times. And if i take the job they are nice people to deal with and such so it's not a possible bad customer type of thing.

So the question is why don't you return phone calls? Or do you know why other contractors don't return calls to customers?
 
#2 ·
Unger.const said:
No matter how busy I am. And even if someone calls and leaves a msg needing the stupidest things estimated. At the very least I return a phone call letting them know I can't get to it regardless of what the project is.

I'm gobsmacked at how many times I hear that no one will return a phone call. Especially after someone comes out gives them a quote or agrees to do the job. What have you. Then doesn't return a call after the customer calls three or more times. And if i take the job they are nice people to deal with and such so it's not a possible bad customer type of thing.

So the question is why don't you return phone calls? Or do you know why other contractors don't return calls to customers?
Click to expand...
Returning a phone call is the right thing to do and I'm sure most here will return a phone call, and if not I'm sure you will get your answer.
 
#6 ·
I don't return them all anymore. Used to make a name for myself doing that when I first started. But now we get between three and ten voicemails/emails a day requesting quotes. I simply can't keep up with them. And nobody seems to be able to take "I'm sorry, we're too busy right now to estimate this" as an answer. It's like they don't even hear me say it sometimes, and they just go on describing what they need anyway.

Some's bastards, some's ain't, and that's the score
 
#8 ·
Since I had the website made I get calls from all over the place. If it's too far and sounds like a bs job I won't call or email back.

Wast of time calling back Mr Moore who lives an hour away and looking to have his gutters cleaned.

Anything local I'll call back no matter the job and let them know if its something I can help them with. Before the web I called 99% of people back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
Golden view said:
I always return calls, but I don't advertise my phone number.
Click to expand...
It always blows peoples minds .. When they ask me for a card and and I tell them I don't advertise .. And I don't have cards !

I just jot my Number down on a piece of paper tape and hand It to them.
 
#11 ·
Sometimes I'm the guy that doesn't return calls, between procrastination, not wanting to deal with saying no nicely, and just not having time for tire kickers...time just seems to pass by and I don't get around to it. I need to do better at it. I over commit myself and am in hustle mode at which time returning calls isn't top priority which means it doesn't happen.
 
#12 ·
When I first started I returned every call. Now its gotten to the point where I have so much work that I'm booked a month or two in advance and I rarely get back to the office (in my home) at a reasonable time to return calls. I live in the mountains and do most of my work in the mountains (Rockies) and very rarely have cell service either. I also don't have business cards or advertise, yet the calls keep rolling in. Bigger problem is getting to work I've already sold - I won't leave a project until it is 100% before I go on to the next one and I have people complain about starting jobs late. In the meantime, the jobs I'm on end up stuffed with change orders and additional work. When I do return calls - it is usually on a Sunday and I end up leaving a message telling them to email me.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
onmywayup said:
I don't return them all anymore. Used to make a name for myself doing that when I first started. But now we get between three and ten voicemails/emails a day requesting quotes. I simply can't keep up with them. And nobody seems to be able to take "I'm sorry, we're too busy right now to estimate this" as an answer. It's like they don't even hear me say it sometimes, and they just go on describing what they need anyway.

Some's bastards, some's ain't, and that's the score
Click to expand...
Have you thought about charging for eatimates?
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
Spencer said:
Sometimes I'm the guy that doesn't return calls, between procrastination, not wanting to deal with saying no nicely, and just not having time for tire kickers...time just seems to pass by and I don't get around to it. I need to do better at it. I over commit myself and am in hustle mode at which time returning calls isn't top priority which means it doesn't happen.
Click to expand...
I find alot of them aren't kicking tires. But I do my fair share of turning away tire kickers as soon as they say "we are getting estimates/quotes" for blah blah blah. I just go into shut down mode for the call.
 
#15 ·
Imagine: Calling a Doctor's office and not getting an answer.

Imagine: On your way to work and the local gas station isn't open on time - which is right when you need them to be.

I imagine these things. I imagine them so much that I ALWAYS return calls. I imagine them so much, that when we would go through that endless stack of business cards looking for fresh contractors on the big project - that if they didn't call back - the card went in the trash.

And 6 months later, those same contractors come scratching around the door "hey, got any work?" - I 'd say, ah you - yeah, you're in the trash - quit sucking up my air!

Nothing bad lasts forever - neither does anything good. (I remember the crying and gnashing of teeth in 2009)

I dunno, in this age of angies list and HA, I suppose EVERYTHING is disposable. Not for me, not how I want to live - but then, this is era is no longer mine.
 
#16 ·
I return every call I get the same day. New prospective customer calls within 1 business day.

Like SmallTown said, If you can’t return my call when things are good, don’t call me when things are bad.

Returning a phone call just seems like a common courtesy. It just doesn’t take that that much time.
 
#17 ·
Other contractors not returning calls is a complaint that I hear from too many customers. It's nothing new, I've been hearing it for years.

It boggles my mind why some contractors won't take a few minutes to reach out and respond to someone who called them and offered new business.

It takes five minutes to return a call and find out if your services are what the customer is looking for and willing to pay for. Take a few minutes and call to see if you're a good fit. If it goes past a callback then make sure the customer is willing to pay for your time to provide a quote.
 
#18 ·
Spencer said:
Sometimes I'm the guy that doesn't return calls, between procrastination, not wanting to deal with saying no nicely, and just not having time for tire kickers...time just seems to pass by and I don't get around to it. I need to do better at it. I over commit myself and am in hustle mode at which time returning calls isn't top priority which means it doesn't happen.
Click to expand...
Same here. Not with procrastination however, but anyone who leaves me a message with no subject about why they are calling, ESPECIALLY with an out of state area code get crossed off and will not get a call back.
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
I was think about the answers on not returned phone calls. I get it you're busy. But whats that do for us as a professional community in general? If you're a schmuck hack contractor I would rather you not call back. But if your a quality contractor. It just goes to show respect to customers proving there is good guys out there. Because no matter how great a person you are. You set the standard for the rest of us that contractors that we all suck in the minds of those you don't at least respectfully call back. After all don't you want your subs to show respect and call before things go wrong (don't you hate it when they no call no show?) What about when a customer doesn't call you back when you have a question while you're in the middle of needing an answer for their project? Don't you hate it when a helper doesn't show or call especially when you were counting on them to help that day?

So it's not ok for people to leave you hanging. But it's ok for you to be unprofessional to people ?
 
#20 ·
My GOAL is to return every call within 24 hours. The few times I have not returned a call, it's never really on purpose, I listen to the message and know it's not going to be of much value to me, but I tell myself to call them at the end of the day. Somehow my subconscious knows it's not a high priority and I end up forgetting about it for a couple days. Obviously this is a problem to do with my process, that I need to change, but nun the less it happens. Once it's been a few days I get to a point where I think it's more rude to call back late then not at all. Just the way my brain works. I'll get a system in place to fix this, but that's been my story a couple times this summer.

I also think in the back of my head "oh well, contractors already have a stigma of not calling back, so it's not as big of a deal if I do too" I don't like that at all, it's just the truth.
 
1 - 20 of 61 Posts
About this Discussion
60 Replies
31 Participants
Last post:
Andrew32
Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum
posts
3.6M
members
169K
Since
2003
A forum community dedicated to professional construction and remodeling contractors. Come join the discussion about the industry, trades, safety, projects, finishing, tools, machinery, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Discussion Tools & Equipment Business Painting & Finish Work Decks & Fencing