I have become a stickler for being on time for scheduled business calls. I really really get annoyed when I have a scheduled call for a certain time and that person is not around for the call, when we scheduled it.
There are two cases of these calls.
(1) The person is suppose to call you and calls you an hour later or never calls. When this happens, I always want to tell the person - we had a call scheduled for X and I cannot talk now. But often, I stop what I am doing and take the call anyway. But it really makes for a bad impression.
(2) I am suppose to call the person and he/she doesn't answer when I call. When this happens, I always leave a voicemail saying, it is X time and we had a schedule phone call. I hope everything is okay. Please call me back at ###-###-###, thank you. Again, leaves a bad impression and really bothers me.
I am an extremely punctual individual about most things. I am the type to be 15 minutes early to everything. I call people exactly on the dot, when scheduled. I actually often make sure to clean my plate before expecting a phone call or meeting. Otherwise, I might be distracted during the call.
In addition, I am much more in favor of scheduling phone calls as opposed to just calling "whenever." It allows me to devote the necessary attention to whom I am speaking with. Otherwise, I can be involved in 5 different things and one of those five things can get lost in the pile (although that rarely happens, I hope).
Of course, that is my nature and not everyone has this type of mentality. What type of person are you? More laid back or not? Here is a poll:
Comments
I hate being late for anything. It's one of my mental ticks and has forced me to tell the world, especially my wife, that things happen 30 minutes earlier than they really do just to have a shot at being on time.
With one exception, I think I have been "on time" in the morning here at the office once so far this year. I just can't wrap my head around mornings even after 5 years in an office after 15 years of working at home.
Posted by: Feydakin | April 3, 2008 9:32 AM
I'm with Feydakin on this. When it comes to calls or meetings, I'm usually 5 minutes early so that I can call/start exactly as is scheduled.
However, with being on time to the office, I never am. Of course, I never leave "on time" or take lunches, scheduled breaks, or anything like that. This field is too odd to schedule some things. But the business part (meetings, calls, etc.) should be taken with a different stride.
Posted by: Josh Garner | April 3, 2008 9:45 AM
I think you are an either on time person or you aren't an on time person. On time people get annoyed with late people and late people just don't care.
Anyone ever call and ask if you have a few minutes and then talk for an hour and a half? I guess I'm suppose to say to myself "I'm getting paid," but it still makes me livid, especially when they complain about the bill that they caused.
Posted by: Chris Bartow | April 3, 2008 10:28 AM