# Clients texting after hours



## casey344

Have you ever had to have a 'please don't text me after hours' conversation with a client whom you've felt has texted at an inappropriate time with non-emergency issues? 

I just tried addressing this with a client who texted me at 10:00 pm and it didn't go over too well.


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## RangoWA

Why answer? If he's that rude no conversation will help. I would get back to him when you're good and ready to, it isn't an electronic leash unless you let it become one.


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## Big Shoe

Your still awake at 10:00 :sleep1::sleep1:

I would just ignore the text until the following day. You get e mails 24/7 too.

Maybe a soft, polite..........''Wow,was that you texting me at 10:00 last night''?

I think those kind of customers are rare.


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## slowsol

Never set the precedent. If they text that late, respond when you're ready in the morning. They eventually catch on.


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## tedanderson

I only do business during business hours. If they text you late at night and you don't answer it until 9AM the next day, that is reasonable by anyone's standards. Try calling any other business after hours and see how soon they call back.


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## aptpupil

Text is like email now. Just respond when ready.


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## Texas Wax

A text is like a knock on the door, an invitation to be answered. Not a mandate or requirement to answer.

Typically view the after hours or any text for that matter and determine if it needs answering right now. Emergency - Absolutely respond, change of schedule for the next day, acknowledge ... If it can wait until morning, it sits.

Quite a few clients who like to text all the time. Allows them to feel free to communicate what's on their minds, when it's on their minds. Don't feel it's productive to directly control or stifle that. 

:laughing: Empower them to figure this out; Their job is very important to us and I have a life also. Typically respond the next day with, was out with the wife, disconnecting from the 'Borg' of business, we killed ourselves yesterday on your job and passed out cold on the couch, was out cutting the lawn-beautiful evening or day for it right? ..... who can argue with points like that.

Never had anybody demand an immediate response. Sure it will happen someday. Cross that bridge when it happens. Gonna be a symptom of a much larger issue that late nite texts tho.


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## Creter

The phones shut off daily around 6:30 and turns back on around 4:30 in the morning.

Believe it or not - there was a time not too far into the past that cell phones did not exist and and all this constant contact stuff was not an issue. (And everybody got along just fine )


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## BamBamm5144

I used to respond at all times until a few months ago.

Now if its a non emergency, anything after 6pm can wait until the next day. Once a guy texted me about 10:30 at night, I was already asleep, but I made sure to respond at about 5:15am.


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## illbuildit.dd

Doesn't bother me a bit. I figure thats what texting is for. I just respond the next day. I don't think anyone is going to get mad when you don't respond during personal time


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## Tinstaafl

Creter said:


> The phones shut off daily around 6:30 and turns back on around 4:30 in the morning.


That must make for some happy clients when a water line fails, a tarp blows off, or there's some other form of emergency in the middle of the night.

Like motorcycle riding, it's not if you're going to go down, it's when.


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## elementbldrs

Like Bam said I make sure to text them back when I get up.... 4:15am. Do that a few times they will ask you to not bug them so early. Then I say don't bug me so late... they will get the hint.

But regardless, off hours communication is only a placeholder until its back to business, unless it's and emergency.


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## wallmaxx

slowsol said:


> Never set the precedent. If they text that late, respond when you're ready in the morning. They eventually catch on.



Or text them back at 2:30 am


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## NYgutterguy

Two Saturdays ago i received a text at 12 AM. It wasnt even from a client but someone just looking for an estimate :blink: .
I do a lot of work in a very religious area and Saturdays are off limits to electronics so i guess he was trying to get a jump on his Sunday to do list. I answered the next morning and added $300 to the job for waking me up :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky

Unless it's a life-or-death emergency, I don't respond until 8 or 9 the next morning.


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## overanalyze

It doesn't bother me and I don't respond until the next day if it is late. I have a few clients that like to text as soon as they think of something so they don't forget. They often tell me not to respond until later. It is just another form of email.


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## Big Shoe

Forgot to mention. A lot of times, I turn my ringer/speaker off after hours.


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## KAP

Just text him back...

*
"You've reached my text-line after business hours. I am available to discuss business matters M-F from 6am - 5pm. If you've texted me after 5pm, please know that I will return your text or call you the next business day... 

...Get the idea M-F'er!!!" * 

OK, you might want to leave that last line off... :whistling :laughing:

.


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## Agility

elementbldrs said:


> Like Bam said I make sure to text them back when I get up.... 4:15am. Do that a few times they will ask you to not bug them so early. Then I say don't bug me so late... they will get the hint.
> 
> But regardless, off hours communication is only a placeholder until its back to business, unless it's and emergency.



I do that. I haven't had anyone text me back before 5am yet. 

I don't mind receiving texts any time. If a text is going to be a nuisance I just turn my phone to vibrate. I'll respond at my convenience if it's outside of reasonable business hours.


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## Tiger

I don't mind getting texts. When I'm sleeping I turn the ringer off and set it on a dry washcloth so it doesn't vibrate on the nightstand. Non-emergencies get answered the following morning.


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## Ohio painter

I set mine to vibrate after about 7pm, I also then let it sit overnight in the kitchen so it doesn't bother me. 

My cell phone is for my convenience not yours. This drives my daughters crazy.

Also I make a point to leave it at home if I am going out with the Mrs.


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## Robie

My cell phone (only phone) is set up to "sleep" from 10 PM until 7 AM. It won't light up, buzz or notify me of anything unless I have a star next to their contact information, which is reserved for a few friends and family.

They can text or call all they want. I decide to act on it or not when it arrives.


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## TNTRenovate

aptpupil said:


> Text is like email now. Just respond when ready.


Its not just like email. Email is formal texting, not so much. While I agree there is an accepted lag time between receiving and responding, there is a much wider gap with email. 

Also email isn't necessarily going to alert you, while a text will. Ignoring requires that you turn off the ringer and vibration on your phone. But then you miss true emergencies. I guess that's the price you pay for having one phone number for work and personal.

My opinion is that you text the same hours you would call. Otherwise send an email.


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## TNTRenovate

BamBamm5144 said:


> I used to respond at all times until a few months ago.
> 
> Now if its a non emergency, anything after 6pm can wait until the next day. Once a guy texted me about 10:30 at night, I was already asleep, but I made sure to respond at about 5:15am.


Isn't that just passive aggressive? Why not just let them know that is too late to be texting?


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## aptpupil

I have a land line still. If family has an emergency they can call that. Cell phone is on silent and out of my bedroom at night.


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## CarpenterSFO

aptpupil said:


> Text is like email now. Just respond when ready.


I agree. Many of my initial customer contacts are now via text - multi-page texts with pictures, PDFs, and other attachments.

After hours, I generally glance at the text to make sure it's not an emergency, and leave answering until the next morning.


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## Xtrememtnbiker

I use the Do Not Disturb feature on my phone. It's automatically set from 12-6:30. My phone won't vibrate or have the screen light up if I get a call or text.

Calls from my contacts go through but texts don't. Also if you're not in my contacts but call twice within 3 minutes the second call goes through.


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## Inner10

I treat texts exactly the same as email. They both go to my phone anyway wtf is the difference.


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## TNTRenovate

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> I use the Do Not Disturb feature on my phone. It's automatically set from 12-6:30. My phone won't vibrate or have the screen light up if I get a call or text.
> 
> Calls from my contacts go through but texts don't. Also if you're not in my contacts but call twice within 3 minutes the second call goes through.


Are customers more likely to reach out to your dad first?


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## TNTRenovate

Inner10 said:


> I treat texts exactly the same as email. They both go to my phone anyway wtf is the difference.


One is a form of instant communication. The other is much more formal and historically used for detailed information exchange.

Expectations are much different on response, at least historically.


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## Inner10

TNTSERVICES said:


> One is a form of instant communication. The other is much more formal and historically used for detailed information exchange.
> 
> Expectations are much different on response, at least historically.


Today I'd consider email a form of instant communication aswell.


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## TNTRenovate

Inner10 said:


> Today I'd consider email a form of instant communication aswell.


No one expects an instant response to any email. You don't email in an emergency, but like others have they will check after hours if a text was.

Instant in the sense that you can get it now, but not in response.


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## Robie

TNTSERVICES said:


> No one expects an instant response to any email. You don't email in an emergency, but like others have they will check after hours if a text was.
> 
> Instant in the sense that you can get it now, but not in response.


I've had more than a few people tell me lately....oh, I don't check my email very often...I text.


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## FrankSmith

This has not been a problem for me so far. I email customers more than text. They follow my lead. If it became a problem I would set up a secondary in case of emergency phone. At that point I would educate new customers that the regular phone is off after hours but if they really need you they can get a hold of you. At that point you could leave your regular phone on and neither would ring because you set the expectation. The in case of emergency phone would stay on the nightstand because it is only for after hours.


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## WarnerConstInc.

I got a text at 1am last weekend. It was for a storm window count, he is a farmer and has been busting tail getting wheat ran, straw bailed, hay cut and bailed. 

No big deal.


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## flashheatingand

It's simply poor manners to text a customer late at night. If it's an emergency, then call. But that text sound is alarming enough (especially after nine at night).


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## WarnerConstInc.

Ummm, you can change the sound or turn the sound off. Really, you can.


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## Jay hole

I left my compressor plugged in at a clients house one time. It kicked on at 2:30a.m. The client called me and left his phone next to the running compressor.


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## Xtrememtnbiker

TNTSERVICES said:


> Are customers more likely to reach out to your dad first?


Absolutely. Most of our clients don't have my number. Just the good ones... :laughing:

I was more just throwing that out there as far as what happens with my phone. I almost never get a text from a client in "off hours". Maybe a couple times.

We don't have a business line, just Dad's cell phone. He is way more attached to that thing than I would be as far as working off hours goes.


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## Xtrememtnbiker

TNTSERVICES said:


> No one expects an instant response to any email. You don't email in an emergency, but like others have they will check after hours if a text was.
> 
> Instant in the sense that you can get it now, but not in response.


I agree with you on most of what you have said related to all this Rob.

For example, I'm about to send an email to a client with contact info for the next guy down the list because Dad and I will be at the Schluter class tomorrow. He might see it, he might not, but I'm not about to text him with it because I respect his time.

We text about things during the day (It's the investor who's house you came to) when it's not urgent and in need of a phone call because it allows the person to not drop what they're doing and talk. But if I need a question answered more ASAP, I'll give him a call.

I text a couple guys on here but also email them. I usually save the emails for less important things or when I have a question that they are going to have to type a really long response too. :laughing:


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## Rhode Island

I don't mind if clients text me while I am still awake. I have no problem answering either. Makes them feel comfortable and helps me get repeat business. I hate hearing the dings and dongs from the phone in the middle of the night. That's my fault for not muting it.

We had a number of large storms roll thru yesterday. I installed all new lighting in a clients basement, but we had no juice so he couldn't see them on. Power was restored around 8pm last night. He texted me how great and bright it was. We exchanged a few texts and now I am going back to do a deck for him.


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