Business and dealing with hoax callers.

[Ultra_Extreme]

As some of you do and dont know, i run my own lil IT callout repair service. Business is up and running and all going well yada yada (even got in the local rag for 'exiting new local business' lol).

Anyway, had my first phantom callout today. Fortunately close to home so no real cost involved, but quite annoying. Moreso because i shoulda picked up on it earlier. You know the way your car stereo is only ever stolen on that ONE occasion that you left the fascia on? Well this was a bit like that. Because it was close to home i got neither a phone number or post code as i felt no need for directions or to contact them (my practices will change from now on). Therefore i could not corroborate the address before leaving. Also the guy said very oddly "Where are u based then? Haverfordwest or somewhere?" This being odd because firstly its deliberately obtuse, customers local to me would prefer i WASNT based there as its an hour away, secondly and more importantly if he was based near my house then he wouldnt have dialled an area code so how could i be based in Haverford west. Oops

I arrived at the property, knocked a few times etc. Left a note pinned up on headed paper, old lady calls later wondering who the heck i am. Would like to limit my potential losses on this front in the future. What reasonable methods of call screening can you all suggest?

Ta

 

[McDaniel]

"by the way all calls are recorded and traced so if this is a hoax call, sleep with one eye open as im likely to come find and stab you"

/edit

on a more serious note, take the full address details - contact number - though i guess you already would.

 

[zain]

You cant avoid it sometimes but that call you got asking for your location which wasnt local kind of gave it away, and if you were wrong they would have rang back and said You didnt come or something.

Generally you can tell if its real or not by the way they sound/what the problem is etc, but you will get the odd hoax, oh and if someone is looking for answers over the phone remember to say "I'll have to have a look" as they try and get the answer from you for free, which is all well and good if you didnt want to make something out of it.

 

[Ultra_Extreme]

You cant avoid it sometimes but that call you got asking for your location which wasnt local kind of gave it away, and if you were wrong they would have rang back and said You didnt come or something.

Generally you can tell if its real or not by the way they sound/what the problem is etc, but you will get the odd hoax, oh and if someone is looking for answers over the phone remember to say "I'll have to have a look" as they try and get the answer from you for free, which is all well and good if you didnt want to make something out of it.

I sense a familiar occupation? yeah im more careful with that now. I'll give out some answers to business customers as i want to build a relationship with them as im new. But i'll still not sit and be tech support, good advice tho.

PS i have the odd feeling that this might be a local competitor tbh

 

[Tesla]

I started a business back in November and also had my first hoax this week.

It was rather annoying as It was a bigger job so I allowed the entire afternoon for it.

Took me 40mins to get there, cost loads in petrol then had to turn around and come back home.

Ultra, got MSN? Maybe worth a chat or I think I would find it interesting to talk to you anyway.

 

[Ultra_Extreme]

sure thing m8y, ultra2extreme at aol.com