Sometimes The Most Basic Things Can Make The Difference

I get my hair cut at a hairdresser establishment. They have around 10-12 hairdressers. I usually go early in the morning, so it is only busy then if there is a wedding scheduled and the wedding party is getting ready for the day. I'm in the shampoo room getting my hair washed out and the phone is ringing, ringing, ringing. I tell my friend, why do you let it ring and ring? She says because we are with clients. Good reason. . . or not?

I said, "you know it is interesting in that I tried calling here to get you and no one answered the phone. It went to voice mail." She says, "that is typical." I say, "how much business do you think this place is losing as a result of no one answering the phone?" She says, "I don't know." That's the right answer: I don't know how much business we are losing as a result of not answering the phone.

Sometimes the most basic things can make a difference.

I wonder what could happen if the phone was answered.

She says that sometimes they answer it, but they think their clients wouldn't like it if they were going back and forth answering the phone.

She is absolutely right. They wouldn't. I know that I wouldn't.

I suggest that they get someone to purposely answer the phone and do other tasks when the phone isn't ringing to help make things run smoothly. She says, the owner doesn't want to hire someone.

Sometimes, the most basic things can make a difference.

Having all the independent hairdressers leave their client, answer the phone, find out they are looking for someone else, rapidly and perhaps even slightly in a hurry try to take a message and get back to the client, is not a good way to get this job done.

I ask, "why even have a phone that rings?" I'm serious. Why not turn the ringer off and let every call go to voice mail?

I wonder. . . how much business is going somewhere else because the phone is not answered? There is an assumption, I'm sure that everyone who calls will leave a voice mail and wait patiently for a return call. That is a powerfully large assumption in a I-want-it-now world. So how much is being lost? There is no way in creation to know.

Sometimes the Most Basic Things Can Make The Difference.