Originally Posted by SupportMyOffice

I just say this is Jenifer, Can I help you. I get a lot of wrong number calls on my second line and also a lot of sales calls. On a side note, yesterday I had a man call and say "this is customer service for your office copy machine". I explained that we are a small biz and don't have one and he hung up on me. I wish his number had come up on caller ID because I would have called back and yelled at someone. To me this was bad business because some day I may have a copy machine and may be looking for service. This was a foot-in-the-door opportunity for this company and they blew it big time.

Well, unfortunately, you will get a lot of phone calls like that copier thing. It's just telemarketers calling businesses. It's done to several businesses and, unfortunately, again, unless you put your phone number on the "do not call register", you are going to get those types of calls continuously. They try to trick you into ordering from them. It's not very good business on their part, but that's what they do.

Originally Posted by SupportMyOffice

I just say this is Jenifer, Can I help you. I get a lot of wrong number calls on my second line and also a lot of sales calls. On a side note, yesterday I had a man call and say "this is customer service for your office copy machine". I explained that we are a small biz and don't have one and he hung up on me. I wish his number had come up on caller ID because I would have called back and yelled at someone. To me this was bad business because some day I may have a copy machine and may be looking for service. This was a foot-in-the-door opportunity for this company and they blew it big time.

I don't think the copy machine call was legit. I used to have to field a ton of "toner phoner" calls when I was working full-time. It's a scam where one person will call trying to get information on your copy equipment (make, model, serial number, etc). Then later another caller will act as though he's from your copier company and offer to sell you toner at a "special" price.

Here's a link about it.

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Jeanne
NowAssistingYou.com
Virtual Assistant :: Web/Blog Design & Hosting :: Writer

We (My employee and I) answer "Good morning/afternoon, Tilda Virtual Services, this is Kylie/Beckie." If it's after hours I'll answer "Hello, this is Kylie" but I only answer if I feel like it.

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Kylie Short
Tilda Virtual Services - Making virtual personal

I answer Hello, this is Dawn. My cell phone is my work phone as well.

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Dawn Riley
A Virtual Assistant in Paradise
Our business is about making yours better

I also use my personal cell phone as my business line, so if I don't recognize the incoming phone number, I answer with, "Hi, this is Tammi." Or something to that effect. Since I'm still employed full-time and there is a chance that one of my coworkers could be calling me, I wouldn't feel comfortable answering with my business name. Besides, I think answering with your name is professional enough. Just my two cents!

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

Originally Posted by SupportMyOffice

I just say this is Jenifer, Can I help you. I get a lot of wrong number calls on my second line and also a lot of sales calls. On a side note, yesterday I had a man call and say "this is customer service for your office copy machine". I explained that we are a small biz and don't have one and he hung up on me. I wish his number had come up on caller ID because I would have called back and yelled at someone. To me this was bad business because some day I may have a copy machine and may be looking for service. This was a foot-in-the-door opportunity for this company and they blew it big time.

That was definitely a scam. They try to get the information about your copier so they can send you hundreds of dollars worth of toner that you didn't order. For many businesses, they have a receptionist that signs for stuff but doesn't know what they are signing for. Once you sign for it your stuck with it.

There's also the "yellow pages" that calls to verify your listing. Once you verify the information for an ad you don't have, then they bill you for a $300 ad. It shows up on your telephone bill.

I've worked as an office manager for many years and have heard them all. I even know some people who unfortunately got swindled. It's my policy not to EVER verify information over the phone, I tell them they have fax or mail a request in writing on company letterhead and then I'll verify it.

Usually if it's a scam then they just hang up on you. If they are legit they don't have any problem doing it that way, but I've ran into a few that were bold enough to actually walk into my office and try to convince me that I ordered a service that I absolutely knew that I didn't. Luckily, I had a policy that nobody could sign for anything but me, and if I wasn't there then the person just had to come back, otherwise there is no telling what my secretaries would have signed for.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

Originally Posted by Rebecka

That was definitely a scam. They try to get the information about your copier so they can send you hundreds of dollars worth of toner that you didn't order. For many businesses, they have a receptionist that signs for stuff but doesn't know what they are signing for. Once you sign for it your stuck with it. There's also the "yellow pages" that calls to verify your listing. Once you verify the information for an ad you don't have, then they bill you for a $300 ad. It shows up on your telephone bill. I've worked as an office manager for many years and have heard them all. I even know some people who unfortunately got swindled. It's my policy not to EVER verify information over the phone, I tell them they have fax or mail a request in writing on company letterhead and then I'll verify it. Usually if it's a scam then they just hang up on you. If they are legit they don't have any problem doing it that way, but I've ran into a few that were bold enough to actually walk into my office and try to convince me that I ordered a service that I absolutely knew that I didn't. Luckily, I had a policy that nobody could sign for anything but me, and if I wasn't there then the person just had to come back, otherwise there is no telling what my secretaries would have signed for.

When those copier scam calls would come in, I would ask them to tell me about my copier since they are acting as if they know what I have. They always would hang up on me. It would give me the biggest thrill to have them hang up on me instead of the other way around. Made my day!!!!

I answer my phone "Good Morning/Afternoon, This is Kim." With various clients this is still professional and yet generic enough for all clients. I always answer my phone when it rings, unless I'm in the midst of a project that has to be done by a specific time frame that day.

My clients vary from entrepreneurs to retired-CEOs. With my answering the phone in this manner it doesn't matter who is calling or for who. One of my client's wants the look and feel of a real office staff (for a small consulting business this is essential when it comes to his bidding and obtaining new clients), so I don't answer or have my company name on my voice mail. For him specifically, I also have an e-mail address specific to his company.

I have my home phone, a dedicated business line and my mobile phone. While my mobile phone is on my e-mail signature, I rarely get business calls on it. When I'm out of the office and I want to get my business calls, I can have my office phone ring simultaneously at my office and on my mobile phone (e.g., off-site meetings, etc.) - this way I really am "virtual." It has worked great. I use Vonage for home/office.

I personally don't recommend using your mobile phone as your office phone. It's important to have your personal time/space. If all your clients/business partners use your mobile phone as well as personal family/friends, you might end up answering a business call on the weekend when you didn't need to. Similar to setting office hours. My clients will call my office numbers at various hours (even 4am when they're traveling abroad) but that doesn't mean I need to answer it, and I typically don't outside my normal hours. Just my opinion!

We answer "Accounting Services, Sara speaking"
This is important to me as I hate calling companies where they do not identify themselves. And finally after being in business over 20 years, I treated myself to a new phone system!!! I had it extended into the house so I can grab the business lines from the Kitchen, my husband's office and the master bedroom. (For those mornings where I have to pretend I'm in the office) Voice mail and caller ID is AWESOME. My assistant doesn't have to grab my calls or answer the phone as much anymore and her billable hours increased! It is reducing the sales calls. Should have done this years ago.

My cell phone is my work phone and like Dawn, I say, "Hello, this is Janine".

Janine

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