| Páxinas no tema: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you provide your phone number to clients? Persoa que publicou o fío: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Ana Vozone 
Local time: 06:20
Membro (2010)
English to Portuguese
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My phone number (mobile) is part of my "signature" at the end of each of my emails.
My landline is actually switched off, as I feel one phone number is enough.
I probably get one or two calls from clients per year.
When I am on automatic responder, I let clients know they can always contact me by calling or texting me, or using WhatsApp.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 08:29 GMT]
[Edited at 2020-11-09 08:30 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:20
Membro (2008)
Italian to English
I have only had 2 calls from clients in more than 10 years. So I suppose they have my number.
| | | | matt robinson
Spain
Local time: 07:20
Membro (2010)
Spanish to English
Why not? My clients have a lot of information about me, including my bank details. I don't see why this information should be private, unless you suffer from telephonophobia. The telephone is a method of communication, like any other.
Although seldom used by my clients, it is sometimes used in "emergency" situations. My clients already know I respond pretty quickly via email, but occasionally speed and/or clarity is of the essence, and a one-minute conversation can clear up a great deal in... See more Why not? My clients have a lot of information about me, including my bank details. I don't see why this information should be private, unless you suffer from telephonophobia. The telephone is a method of communication, like any other.
Although seldom used by my clients, it is sometimes used in "emergency" situations. My clients already know I respond pretty quickly via email, but occasionally speed and/or clarity is of the essence, and a one-minute conversation can clear up a great deal in a very efficient manner. ▲ Collapse
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| Yes, but not my mobile number | Nov 9, 2020 |
Clients who actually send me jobs receive e-mails, invoices and other correspondence with a phone number, but it is the landline number. We have several phones about the house, one in my 'cage', where I work.
If I am not at home, then I am generally not at work, and clients must wait until I check the mail. There are two clients I would trust with my mobile number. One would only use it to ask me to check my mails, because we have difficulty understanding each other on the phone! Wh... See more Clients who actually send me jobs receive e-mails, invoices and other correspondence with a phone number, but it is the landline number. We have several phones about the house, one in my 'cage', where I work.
If I am not at home, then I am generally not at work, and clients must wait until I check the mail. There are two clients I would trust with my mobile number. One would only use it to ask me to check my mails, because we have difficulty understanding each other on the phone! While we exchange e-mails fast and frequently when necessary - she writes in Norwegian and I write in Danish or English.
Another regular client has used my mobile once, because we needed to talk about a job urgently. He prefers to call and settle everything in one go, rather than exchanging a string of mails. Other occasional clients also prefer to call, but if I am not at home, they have to wait until I am available to take the job.
I work for a living, but even in these corona times, I have a life outside work!
Edited to add that I do not usually have my mobile with me when I just go for a walk or shopping in town. I have to sit somewhere quiet where I can hear it, and it is a big, slippery thing that can fall out of my pocket or bag. Besides, it is far too smart for me, and I have to let it know who is boss! (But I have learnt to find the pictures of my grandchild...)
[Edited at 2020-11-09 10:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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My clients have both my mobile and my landline number but I can’t remember the last time I received a call from a client (3/4 years ago?), with one exception: I work very occasionally with a French translation agency and their PM has the curious habit of calling to say that she will be sending an email in a few minutes. My regulars know that I always respond pretty quickly via email and besides that I do prefer having everything in written form. I must say that many years ago when I was still ... See more My clients have both my mobile and my landline number but I can’t remember the last time I received a call from a client (3/4 years ago?), with one exception: I work very occasionally with a French translation agency and their PM has the curious habit of calling to say that she will be sending an email in a few minutes. My regulars know that I always respond pretty quickly via email and besides that I do prefer having everything in written form. I must say that many years ago when I was still in Belgium and working as a sworn translator, I frequently got phone calls at inconvenient hours: very early in the morning, very late at night, during the weekend… ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jan Truper
Germany
Local time: 07:20
English to German
Only if requested by trusted clients, and always with the annotation NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 07:20
Membro (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Yes, it's on my web site, my invoices and my résumé, but not in my e-mail signature. I prefer not to be called, but sometimes a phone call is quicker and better than an e-mail. One or two clients have this habit of phoning me immediately after they've sent me an e-mail to confirm that I have received it -- it's a bit annoying, but I suppose it makes good business sense if that is what one wants to do. (Other clients follow up with a second and third "did you get my mail" e-mail within 2-3 mi... See more Yes, it's on my web site, my invoices and my résumé, but not in my e-mail signature. I prefer not to be called, but sometimes a phone call is quicker and better than an e-mail. One or two clients have this habit of phoning me immediately after they've sent me an e-mail to confirm that I have received it -- it's a bit annoying, but I suppose it makes good business sense if that is what one wants to do. (Other clients follow up with a second and third "did you get my mail" e-mail within 2-3 minutes of the original mail. Still others don't understand why I don't respond to WhatsApp messages immediately, but the fact is that I read my WhatsApp messages only a few times a day, so WhatsApp is not the best way to get a hold of me.) This past week a client in a very different time zone sent me an SMS to ask if I've received their e-mail (but my phone is on silent when I sleep). ▲ Collapse
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Elena Feriani
Italy
Local time: 07:20
Membro
French to Italian
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| Italian clients | Nov 9, 2020 |
I have a local client's staff member that calls me to tell me that they're sending me an email.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 09:58 GMT]
| | | | | Thanks for your answers ! | Nov 9, 2020 |
Thank you all for answering this fast ! If I get it right, your clients usually use your mobile number (when provided) to make sure you received their email or let you know they are about to sent one.
It is a curious method, but I guess it's mainly a way for them to make sure everything is set up correctly.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:20
Membro (2008)
Italian to English
| About 2 weeks ago | Nov 9, 2020 |
About 2 weeks ago I had to deliver an urgent late-Friday job to a PM who was on her way home from the office. So I texted her to confirm I had sent the translation. She was on the Metro, or a tram or bus, somewhere in Milan. It all worked perfectly. She picked up the translation from her computer when she got home. That was one of the very rare occasions on which I use my mobile phone. It usually just sits here on my table. I never take it when I go out. I am NOT constantly available.
[E... See more About 2 weeks ago I had to deliver an urgent late-Friday job to a PM who was on her way home from the office. So I texted her to confirm I had sent the translation. She was on the Metro, or a tram or bus, somewhere in Milan. It all worked perfectly. She picked up the translation from her computer when she got home. That was one of the very rare occasions on which I use my mobile phone. It usually just sits here on my table. I never take it when I go out. I am NOT constantly available.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 10:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:20
Membro (2008)
Italian to English
Elena Feriani wrote:
I have a local client's staff member that calls me to tell me that they're sending me an email.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 09:58 GMT]
This is me writing a post to let you know that I'm writing a post.
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Elena Feriani
Italy
Local time: 07:20
Membro
French to Italian
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Maïlys Vandeleene wrote:
Thank you all for answering this fast ! If I get it right, your clients usually use your mobile number (when provided) to make sure you received their email or let you know they are about to sent one.
It is a curious method, but I guess it's mainly a way for them to make sure everything is set up correctly.
Hi Maïlys,
Some old-school professionals I deal with still don't trust emails, even if I assure them that I check them constantly. One stays on the phone until I confirm that I got the email. It is very funny, when I'm not busy!
Except for locals, I had a single call from an agency that needed an urgent job this year.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 07:20
Membro (2009)
English to German
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| Only if requested | Nov 9, 2020 |
Or unless it becomes apparent that something can only be resolved with a phone call. I do provide my Skype ID for initial contact, however, also only when the customer requests it.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:20
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes - In fact, it is probably on my bills along with my e-mail address.
However, I much prefer to be contacted by e-mail, as that way I have a record of the conversation and have time to consider my responses. Also, due to a surfeit of cold callers in the past year or so (in fact, now that I come to think of it, all that really started when I got a smart phone), I currently have my phone set up to reject calls from numbers that are not already in my contact list.
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