http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/ "Winning the battle against wasted time, disorganization, clutter, and all other things evil..." Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:11:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-2642 Charlie Lyons Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:05:25 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-2642 Tim Ferriss in "4 Hour Work Week" (http://amzn.to/vZELVo) [affiliate link] addresses this very thing, including the proper technique for leaving an outgoing VM message that allows you to define when and how a reply will come back to the caller. Tim Ferriss in “4 Hour Work Week” (http://amzn.to/vZELVo) [affiliate link] addresses this very thing, including the proper technique for leaving an outgoing VM message that allows you to define when and how a reply will come back to the caller.

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-2087 EASTeam Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:14:00 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-2087 re @TMNinja <~ Agree 100% Also applies when ALREADY ON THE PHONE, ie, talk to 1 person @ a time or create a conference call, but not much is as rude as putting someone on extended hold #in re @TMNinja <~ Agree 100% Also applies when ALREADY ON THE PHONE, ie, talk to 1 person @ a time or create a conference call, but not much is as rude as putting someone on extended hold #in

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-833 diet tips to lose weight Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:35:00 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-833 That's a practical way ^_^ and i like it thanks a lot for the suggestion. yeah i got annoyed sometimes because of those unwanted calls while im my work. it will me a lot. thank you. That’s a practical way ^_^ and i like it thanks a lot for the suggestion. yeah i got annoyed sometimes because of those unwanted calls while im my work. it will me a lot. thank you.

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Aaron Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:36:08 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-99 I really enjoyed the tips and the article. I own a Retail store as well as a computer service business. I find when my employees and I are working on systems, if we don't answer the phone we get more done and don't go into 15min+ conversations that aren't fruitful. Do you all think it is still a good idea not to answer the phones? I have a pretty sophisticated phone system to auto answer and such so I can get back to people if I need to. I find if it is important, people leave messages. I also find if a customer comes in the store he/she deserves to be served vs. people on the phone. What do you all think, I would like to get your opinions on the subject if I am not off the topic. I really enjoyed the tips and the article. I own a Retail store as well as a computer service business. I find when my employees and I are working on systems, if we don’t answer the phone we get more done and don’t go into 15min+ conversations that aren’t fruitful. Do you all think it is still a good idea not to answer the phones? I have a pretty sophisticated phone system to auto answer and such so I can get back to people if I need to. I find if it is important, people leave messages. I also find if a customer comes in the store he/she deserves to be served vs. people on the phone. What do you all think, I would like to get your opinions on the subject if I am not off the topic.

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Aaron Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:36:00 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-670 I really enjoyed the tips and the article. I own a Retail store as well as a computer service business. I find when my employees and I are working on systems, if we don't answer the phone we get more done and don't go into 15min+ conversations that aren't fruitful. Do you all think it is still a good idea not to answer the phones? I have a pretty sophisticated phone system to auto answer and such so I can get back to people if I need to. I find if it is important, people leave messages. I also find if a customer comes in the store he/she deserves to be served vs. people on the phone. What do you all think, I would like to get your opinions on the subject if I am not off the topic. I really enjoyed the tips and the article. I own a Retail store as well as a computer service business. I find when my employees and I are working on systems, if we don’t answer the phone we get more done and don’t go into 15min+ conversations that aren’t fruitful. Do you all think it is still a good idea not to answer the phones? I have a pretty sophisticated phone system to auto answer and such so I can get back to people if I need to. I find if it is important, people leave messages. I also find if a customer comes in the store he/she deserves to be served vs. people on the phone. What do you all think, I would like to get your opinions on the subject if I am not off the topic.

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-7 LawyerKM Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:21:49 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-7 I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time - both in avoiding answering the phone and "listening" to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone's recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said "... leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick...@gmail.com..." My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: "This is Tim. How can I help you?" http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven't read that book, you should. It's full of productivity gems. Patrick ( www.lawyerkm.com ) I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time – both in avoiding answering the phone and “listening” to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone’s recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said “… leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick…@gmail.com…” My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: “This is Tim. How can I help you?” http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven’t read that book, you should. It’s full of productivity gems. Patrick ( http://www.lawyerkm.com )

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Patrick Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:21:49 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-58 I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time - both in avoiding answering the phone and "listening" to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone's recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said "... leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick...@gmail.com..." My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: "This is Tim. How can I help you?" http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven't read that book, you should. It's full of productivity gems. Patrick ( www.lawyerkm.com ) I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time – both in avoiding answering the phone and “listening” to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone’s recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said “… leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick…@gmail.com…” My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: “This is Tim. How can I help you?” http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven’t read that book, you should. It’s full of productivity gems. Patrick ( http://www.lawyerkm.com )

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-668 LawyerKM Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:21:00 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-668 I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time - both in avoiding answering the phone and "listening" to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone's recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said "... leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick...@gmail.com..." My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: "This is Tim. How can I help you?" http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven't read that book, you should. It's full of productivity gems. Patrick ( www.lawyerkm.com ) I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time – both in avoiding answering the phone and “listening” to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone’s recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said “… leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick…@gmail.com…” My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: “This is Tim. How can I help you?” http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven’t read that book, you should. It’s full of productivity gems. Patrick ( http://www.lawyerkm.com )

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-669 Patrick Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:21:00 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-669 I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time - both in avoiding answering the phone and "listening" to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone's recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said "... leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick...@gmail.com..." My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: "This is Tim. How can I help you?" http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven't read that book, you should. It's full of productivity gems. Patrick ( www.lawyerkm.com ) I almost never answer my personal phone (the work phone is a different story). The best money I spend every month (only a couple of dollars), is for the voice mail to email service called PhoneTag (previously called Simulscribe). It saves so much time – both in avoiding answering the phone and “listening” to voice mails. It is so much faster to read a transcribed voice mail than to call in, go through the prompts, and listen to someone’s recorded voice. Also, you can read voice mails in places where you cannot put your phone up to your ear and listen to them. And it is all done on YOUR schedule.Before I started using PhoneTag, my outgoing message on my voice mail said “… leave a message, or better yet send me an email at patrick…@gmail.com…” My friends found that to be a bit too much. Good points about cutting to the chase, too. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, is also a proponent of answering the phone as you suggest: “This is Tim. How can I help you?” http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/. If you haven’t read that book, you should. It’s full of productivity gems. Patrick ( http://www.lawyerkm.com )

]]> http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/01/stop-answering-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-6 TMNinja Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:01:28 +0000 http://tmninja.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/stop-answering-the-phone#comment-6 Stormbringer, I like your comment about how we train people to interact with us. I find if you are consistent with your behaviors, people will know what to expect. Ironically, just yesterday after I posted this, I managed to take an unnecessary call right in the middle of an important project. After the fact, I realized I should have let it go. It takes discipline to break the "answer the phone" habit. :) Stormbringer, I like your comment about how we train people to interact with us. I find if you are consistent with your behaviors, people will know what to expect. Ironically, just yesterday after I posted this, I managed to take an unnecessary call right in the middle of an important project. After the fact, I realized I should have let it go. It takes discipline to break the “answer the phone” habit.

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