Business 24x7x365

[Dan Furman]

In Huggy's "working weekends" thread, I started thinking about how the expectation level of clients in general has risen in regards to "availability".

I think the media (especially the internet) has essentially done this to us - it's truly turned us into a 24/7 society (most of you are old enough to remember when TV generally had test patterns all night. Does any station go dark now?)

I've noticed that I get e-mail from clients at all hours. Even managers in "9-5, M-F" jobs e-mail me from their laptops at 10pm on a Saturday. The typical vacation message doesn't ever mention the word "vacation" (a weak, taboo word in the business world). Instead it says something like "out of the office", and many say to reach them at their cell or e-mail. That's not much of a vacation.

I regularly get someone contacting me on a Thursday, needing their (fairly large) project done by Monday morning. And it's not just bad planning on their part - that used to be the case. Today, it's generally expected. They actually "expect" me to work the weekend. I once took on one of these, and had a question on a Saturday - no response to my e-mail or phone call. Monday morning, the person was mad it wasn't done. I said "well, you expected me to work the weekend, so I expect you to answer my question on a weekend". He didn't like that (and is no longer a client.)

I think this is going to get worse, too. Right now, people under 21 (or so) have been brought up on the internet, e-mail, and texting. Immediate responses are 100% EXPECTED. These young people have no idea that their current social expectation is going to translate to the business world when they enter it. Someone who is a 19 year old "5,000 texts a month" person today is going to be a department manager tomorrow. What will they be like in ten years? What will their expectations be? If they text a subordinate (or a vendor) on a Saturday night, will they wait until Monday for a response? And how are they going to react when their boss texts them on Sunday afternoon?

It's interesting (and somewhat scary.) Personally, I'll resist it as much as I can, but I think it will start costing me in a decade.

[KristineS]

It is definitely a whole new ball game. You're expected to be available and responsive at all times. That's part of why I resisted getting a cell phone for so long, I knew once I had one I would be expected to respond to things when I was out of the office that I could have ignored before.

Of course the flip side for this, particularly for people who own their own business, is that you have the right to say I'm only working x number of hours, or I won't respond after this late at night or on weekends. Granted, you may lose some business as a result, but I guess ever person has to make the decision for themselves about whether the extra business is worth losing free time.

[thewebwriter]

I'm in a pedantic mood. Business 24x7x365 - Is that permanent on call for 7 years?

Seriously, I'm in the same frame of mind as you. I think one of the problems is many internet businesses try to show themselves as established by suggesting they have a staff, and don't realize the message they are sending.

[vangogh]

I've noticed people getting in touch at any hour of the day and any day of the week. I don't mind as long as they don't call at all hours of the day, though at times they do. I had someone call me around 9:30-10:00 one night not long ago. She was here in town so it's not as though she wasn't aware what time it was. She was looking to pump me for information and I explained to her I wasn't working at that time.

I've had clients expect me to work weekends. I do a pretty good job of managing those expectations I think. I tend not to return email on weekends and let people know in advance I won't be working. I have at times worked weekends under special circumstances, but generally I won't. And I have had the exact same situation Dan where a client expects me to work the weekend though isn't available to answer my questions.

[billbenson]

A friend has two successful son's in management in different companies. He says they come home with a ton of emails to answer on their laptop every night and weekends to.

Companies have cut back on secretaries and support staff. That pushes employees to working a lot more than 40 hours if they want to move up the ladder. If they are working longer hours, consciously or subconsciously, they will expect the same from others. Not much you can do about that.

In Huggy's situation on the other thread, it occured to me that someone could use the 24/7 same price business model to get a new business rolling. Huggy doesn't want to do that, but that may leave an opportunity for someone.

[Harold Mansfield]

I live in a 24 hour town so I am used to the concept. Many things here are open 24/7 and I am used to doing things like grocery shopping, or meeting friends for a drink after midnight.
I would never expect too many other businesses to be open or available outside of normal business hours.

I think you need to be available when people need you. I deal with 9 to 5 people, so I'm available 9-5. If homeowners are at work 9-5, and you work with mostly homeowners, you probably want to be available when they are.

By the same logic, I always thought that it was stupid that post office and bank employees go to lunch at the same time as everyone else, because lunch time is when most people have time to go to the bank or post office since they close at 5 or 6 pm (the same time that most people have to work until).

Not sure if Saturday qualifies as out of the ordinary hours for a service person. Sunday , definitely. I wouldn't expect a plumber to charge more on Saturdays.

[Spider]

The other side of the coin - there's always another side to every coin! - back in the day when businesses closed their doors, sent the receptionist home and locked up at 5pm, you didn't take care of personal affairs during business hours. I can remember I had to ask permission - and was often refused - to go to the bank, go pay my insurance, and for co-workers with children, dropping off and picking kids up from school had to be done in their "own time."

Now, we may work well into the night, but we also take plenty of time "off" for taking care of personal matters, go grocery shopping, "visit" with people/friends and be visited. So, not only has "work" rolled into "your own time," personal stuff has rolled into "work time." We probably don't work any more actual hours than we ever did - the hours we work are just spread over more hours of the day.

I like it like this.

[huggytree]

i answer my phone 16 hours a day, weekends, holidays...if i am awake i answer...thats a service i office my customers for free.....they all know they can call me anytime before 10pm or on a weekend with a question and ill jump on it...thats just good service...i charge a good price for my service and i dont mind at all

doing actual work in the field off hours is a no-no....im at a point where i dont even want to go to their house to bid after 4pm anymore.....they have to work around a normal business day....im willing to come to bid at 6am or 4pm...they need to give a bit

when you get your Chevy or Ford repaired do they open at 6pm to let you take it in'? yes they are open typically 1/2 a day on Sat, but ive found their good tech guys arent there...they mainly do brakes and exhaust on Sat's

being open for business weekends seems to be less professional.....maybe despirate......the economy is probably to blame for the trend you see....i dont see the trend in my business....im willing to let a few customers go if they arent available for me...most of my customers have stay at homes wives...or are able to work from home...my customers are becoming more and more upper middle class....

its your business...you make the rules.....if the customers want you to work around their schedule they need to pay extra for it...YOU CREATE YOUR CUSTOMERS

[greenoak]

I THINK A B IG SKILL IS LEARNING TO SAY NO in a way thats accepted by your customers.... i figure they can ask anything....but we make our rules..... ... we need to stay in our limits or we will slip in to a messy unproductive situation with few happy people....
i really want to be totally reliable ....so i cant say yes to everything they come up with...

[Harold Mansfield]

I think calling someone that is not a personal friend to ask business questions up until 10 pm is out of line. If it's an emergency situation and those are your hours that's one thing, but a business call just to ask a few questions can wait until morning.
I started out with the attitude that I would be available on weekends and answer all calls whenever I was able, but didn't see where it made me any more money. I have found that people who call at all hours or expect you to answer them at every whim on Sundays, or late evenings don't have any respect for your time. Once I tightened that up and set Sunday and Emergency rates, it seems that people are able to take care of business at a normal time.

I don't think a plumber being open on the weekends is desperate or has anything to do with the economy. I wouldn't expect a plumber to not be open on Saturday...at least where I live.

Things may be different where you are and if your average customer is home all day during the week, then I guess you can afford not to work on Saturday because there is no conflict with scheduling work during the week.

[Spider]

And it depends on different peoples' definition of 'emergency.' One's website not loading is a bit different from an overflowing toilet oozing its way into your bedroom - Caterers not turning up to the party is different from a tree through your roof on a stormy night.

[jamesray50]

I personally think this country should do like the Europeans do and take several weeks of vacation each year. Then we could all write on Frederick's blog what make work fun.

[huggytree]

I think calling someone that is not a personal friend to ask business questions up until 10 pm is out of line. If it's an emergency situation and those are your hours that's one thing, but a business call just to ask a few questions can wait until morning.
.

Remember im a 1 man shop, so during the day i want as few phone calls as possible...im working.....the more calls i get the slower i am at making money...i make most of my phone calls while im driving.....i prefer customers call me when im at home since i have all their paperwork/folders sitting next to me...when they call me during the day i have to rely on memory and for many details thats not possible...most of their calls take 2 minutes or less....if im watching tv or playing with the kids whats a 2 minute break...

its definately a personal choice...im a workahaulic...i think about work all the time for 5 days a week...i try to forget on the weekends, but during the day everything is racing through my head until i go to sleep....i sleep good, no issues...

like i said earlier...this is a service i offer my customers...many feel the same way and prefer to talk after 6pm when we are both at home....i do NOT like to bid at night anymore though...its rare...when im slow i do it, when im busy i get tough and make the customer leave work early...if i am gone from home at 6pmto bid my family like suffers too much

[Harold Mansfield]

I guess I didn't think about the fact that you are doing physical work when the phone rings during business hours. That all makes sense. You have to take and make calls in between turning the wrench.
Sounds like you could use an answering service or secretary.

[billbenson]

Actualy, what occurred to me is recording phone conversations although its illegal. It would be nice to wait until you get home and review the recording for the details of the call rather than write it down while you are burred under a cabinet working.

[Spider]

I understood that recording a telephone conversation was legal if at least one of the parties was aware of it. It's eavesdropping and recording a private conversation of which you are not a part that is illegal. But that probably varies between different jurisdictions.

[Harold Mansfield]

Wouldn't your voicemail capture the information that you need? What the problem is, what area you live in, call back number and so on? If you make it clear to leave those things I would think that most people would. Wouldn't they?

[Business Attorney]

I understood that recording a telephone conversation was legal if at least one of the parties was aware of it. It's eavesdropping and recording a private conversation of which you are not a part that is illegal. But that probably varies between different jurisdictions.

You're right, Frederick. The laws on eavesdropping DO vary between different jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions it is legal to record a telephone conversation as long as one participant agrees. In other jurisdictions, unless you have the consent of each person you are recording, it is a crime. You have to know the law of the jurisdiction that applies. If the participants are in different states, then it may even be difficult to figure out which state's law will apply.

[J from Michigan]

The loophole is where the call goes to. In my old system it was routed through Illinois (or something) so we were able to record.

I can record calls with GoogleVoice anytime I want, during the call I just push a button.
And when I get done for the day, I can re-play them.
See attachment: :)