[benny d]

Im going away for a week to Spain  later in the year, and I was wondering what to do with my phone.
Do I take it with me, and try and book jobs in, or let all calls mount up on the answering machine at home, and see what can be salvaged when I get back.

What do you do?

[Carpet Dawg]

I'm going on holiday next week. Taking the diary and call divert on. Its a pain but its the only way you can do it effectively without losing jobs.

Phoning people back is a long shot. They'll just call someone else unless its a regular customer.

Or unless you know someone you can trust to take the calls.

[homenclean]

Always - if your customers cant contact you then the chance is they will go else where.
Mind you we do a lot of commercial jobs and property lettings.
Normally arrange cover for any rush jobs with a guy who helps me out when needed.
John

[davep]

What I did last year was leave phone with my sister and a price list that had higher prices than I would normally charge. Came back to a full weeks work 

[Teddycare]

Any chance of borrowing your sister, she sounds a good salesperson 

[sherco]

Ask your wife! She will tell you the answer. 

[William Sharpe]

You must allow yourself a holiday away from work or you will crack up! the thought of loosing a customer plays strong on your mind. If you have a relation or friend who is responsible give them a average price guide per room or house sise divert home calls to your mobile and give him/her your diary and ask them to pracyice their seeling skills. Let them tell customers after quoting a price that you will be back on ?? and that you will give them an additional 10% discount for their patience you will be surprised how many bookings you will have when you return!! Enjoy hour holiday and don't stress over it.
William

[William Sharpe]

Whoops don't forget to give your mobile & Charger to the selected person and don't forget to put a diversion on your home phone-have fun

[derikraven]

What's a "holiday"?

[stuart_clark]

I never take my phone on holiday, when i leave the house, thats it , I switch off from work completely! I have taken the diary on holiday a good few years ago, but these days about 80% of our work is comercial anyway and am always booked up two to three weeks ahead anyway! we work a five day week, monday to friday and three nights over a 46 wks      6 weks holiday ! I dont live to work but the other way round

[benny d]

Thanks for all the replies.
A lot of food for thought!
 

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

In the past I've taken phone and diary away.

I switch on the phone when I come back to my apartment and then pick up any messages and/or missed calls. This will usually be around 5-6 pm BST. Return calls and then switch off phone again for a further 23.5 hours knowing I can relax as I am not wondering what I have missed.

But I do return the calls-all of them. Even if you are too late the fact that you have returned the call will at least demonstrate your reliability and dependability for the next time a potentially new client is looking for a cleaner. Many regulars simply assume I am on holiday and are pleasantly surprised that I have returned the call and book in. Many are particularly happy that you have just acknowledged their call and say that I should save my phone bill and simply ring them back upon my return from holiday. "THe carpets will await your return."

You must take a holiday and a break from the constant monitoring of a phone is important. You may lose some business from people who are ringing around but I have found that even phoning back late afternoon/early evening and explaining that I am abroad on holiday is enough to impress them to book in with you as often their other messages have yet to be answered.

You will also find that even if you lose one or two jobs by the law of averages you will probably pick up other jobs when other cc's near to you are away on holiday and you are in work.

Finally, if you do come back to a chocker diary then you'll lose some of the benefits of the holiday-especially as you are often running around like a madman in the last couple of days before your holiday trying to fit all jobs in before departure.

So between booking in jobs for after the holiday from before you go and booking in some whilst you are away you should have enough to keep you out of mischief upon your return.

Anyway that's my experience-yours could be very different.

Rog

[Ian Rochester]

Gets left with deputy, i carry mobile no 2, just in case!!!!

[C Phillips]

I agree with Rog and do exactly what he does and it works for me. I may have 1 or 2 weeks proper holiday (away)a year and want to enjoy without the  ringing of the phone . We all need and require a proper break.

Chris.

[james roffey]

I have someone to take my calls and is professional having worked in an office which helps, to be honest you may lose out anyway as you are away but i have always come back to a diary full of enquires, and been able to fully relax which is the point of taking a break. 

[from edge2edge]

Luckily i have a great friend called Jon who works with me sometimes so just divert my mobile to his and he keeps things sweet for me until my return.....Alan(swindon)

[Phillip Mold]

I put home and mobile on divert to a wonderful free receptionist service. Mum!

I take an old pay as you go mobile with me for emergencies.

[JandS]

Same as Roger...nip up to room at tea time and ring back.
And I go for 3 weeks in Summer.
Always come back to plenty of work.

[tomClean]

of corse I run a decorating and cleaning businesses and you have to think of all that work you could be missing!

[Carpet Dawg]

Calling the calls that you missed in the evening? really?  good luck with that one. Most will just call the next carpet cleaner on the list. Unless its a good regular client.