Crazy times!

[tfs]

I know some peeps have been quiet recently

but

I have found the last few months to be mad, the last two weeks in particular I have struggled to contact all customers who made enquiries and have been finding it very difficult to keep organised and Im getting sick of having to work nights to do quotes for people who expect me to do this rather than meet them during the day.

Yesterday, I had 8 voicemails. I just counted 11 missed calls in my phone fro yesterday and I am getting a few emails each day too. The other day I had a 'to do list' where I had 16 people to contact from 2 or 3 days of enquires.

JUST FOUND ANOTHER VOICEMAIL WHILST WRITTING THIS!

I have been doing some local advertising recently and plenty of driving from job to job in my local area where people will see my sign written vehicle too so this will help get business in.

I have never been this busy, I am genuinly finding it diffilcult to answer calls and visit people as well as booking in my work.

Has anyone else been noticing an increase in work recently?

If Im to be honest I have not had much tiling work coming in compared to the begining of the year where I was doing around 4 tiling per month e.g. bathrooms, kitchens floors etc.

Im glad I offer more than one service, and would reccomend anyone who is quiet offers small odd jobs (if you are confident in your abilities) as there is plenty of demand for this.

not in a position where I can take a full time employee yet but Im finding it hard to manage by myself so the wife is offering to deal with booking in quotes and taking care of paper work etc so hopefully I can spend more time focussing on the job in hand.


I started this thread with a view to having a moan about customers and me being too busy. I realised whilst typing that this was actualy a good thing and that its realy just me that has to adapt and manage things better:lol:

 

[Ian]

I'm flat out also mate, I spend an hour or so every evening contacting customers, returning calls and emails, and organising quotes etc. I used to be terrible at busy times but have trained myself to be quite efficient! I'm quite lucky to have a fellow local tiler I can rely on if things get a bit busy or I can't fit the work in myself.

 

[kilty55]

hi mate,good to see your busy

hows the plastering?
i had a really bad quiet spell last month..it went on for about 6 weeks and i was getting worried tbh
however a huge turnaround and now im heaving
long may it continue

 

[tfs]

only had a few small plaster repairs jobs and drywall where I normally opt for easifill but my friend has asked me to have a go at skimming his stair and ceiling which is caked in artex! (should be fun). I tend not to deal with ceilings (in terms of skimming) but since its a friend I will give it a go.

I have spoke to a few tilers from West Lothian and Edinburgh and they had a tricky month last month too Jamie. I personally have noticed a decrease in the amount of tiling enquiries that I have been recieving. ( I hope that changes though as I need to put my new d24000 to some good use! lol)

Hopefully a better year for us all this year chaps

 

[DHTiling]

Voice mails... you not answer your phone like,:lol:

 

[tfs]

I am pretty bad for not answering if Im working, I cant stand being interupted.

 

[IvegotsTILE]

I always answer or phone back straight away plus I always try and look at the job as early as possible(always within 3 days).
I do find it a bit of a pain finishing work then having to go out again to view the job then working out prices all in your own time but I just think to myself I'm doing a job I enjoy and I want every job cause its more money to spend on :8:

 

[doug boardley]

I am pretty bad for not answering if Im working, I cant stand being interupted.

me too, by the time I've found my phone it's usually rung off anyway.

 

[Ken Bruty]

Mine always rings when I'm really focused on a detail of work or when I've got rapid trowelled out and don't have time to stop, so i'm always ringin people back at dinner time or after I've finished, I'm much more relaxed and can think straight at those times. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[tfs]

I tend to go through my voicemails in the evening for any missed calls.

Still not getting any better lol, had a call on Tuesday from a letting agent. They asked me to go to a job asap as one of the windows in a property they look after blow out with the winds. I was already on a job that I realy had to get finished. Lucky enough, I had a chap out helping me that day so got the job done and then took the 16 mile drive to look at the window. When I got to the job I had to do an emergency board up. I have the window at my house and will need to do a repair on it in the morning before rehanging it on Tuesday.

Got a phone call from the same agent asking me to go to another job Friday evening to get an old fire placed ripped it in a tenenemant so the heating guy can get started on putting in a new noiler on Monday morning. I get a lot of work from this aent so I guess you gotta look after the guys that keep you busy.

Got two reliable guys helping out (sub contrating) that I can rely on for basic jobs, so Im hoping this is going to help get jobs done sooner and keep peeps happy at the same time.