31 replies to this topic

[anthonyparsons.com]

I am slightly curious to what hours other SEO's actually work? Do you work fixed hours? Do you work varied hours according to customers needs and requirements? Are you just an SEO nut and so devoted to what you do that you have no time for anything else?

Me personally, my SEO hours are various throughout the day and night. I work from home, so I always have access to work, though I do have a separate office.

I ask this because some of my clients work a day job and then run home based businesses. This tears me between - not being able to contact them during normal work hours and having to sacrifice personal time with family to talk with clients.

At the end of the day, my hours are flexible to meet my clients needs, though I attempt to maintain consistency during the day, overtime or not.

[OldWelshGuy]

I work from my office at home, after 5pm, if the phone rings I look at the caller display, and unless it is one of my real good friendly customers they have no chance.

I often get customers say that they have called me followed by 'were you out'? I always say nope but I dont answer the office phone outside working hours as it is in the office and gets turned off ringer when i finish work.

In truth I work whatever hours I feel I am happy with, I plan work around life, not the other way around. Customers get clearly told the score, when one asked if we could meet last Tuesday I said no as it was my daughters Nativity play at school, he thought i was kidding. He really thought that choosing to work over seeing my daughter as an angel was the right thing to do? poor sod.

[Scottie]

He really thought that choosing to work over seeing my daughter as an angel was the right thing to do? poor sod.

I'm sure she's an angel everyday. :halo: You are right- some people don't have their priorities straight.

I hate the phone- try not to answer it. I definitely don't answer it outside of work hours unless I've prearranged something.

[anthonyparsons.com]

Funny your say that OWG, I had the same thing not long ago when my son was graduating Year 7 and moving onto High School. A client couldn't believe when they turned up here, with no advanced booking mind you, and I wasn't home. When I told him where I was, well! He was nice because I have his money, but I could tell the tone in his voice "was not impressed".

I could of been rude, but wasn't.

[Haystack]

I work mornings, then coach a high school xc ski team in the afternoon, then hop back online later in the day. However, in the summer the coaching switches to 7am, so the work schedule flips too.

Caller ID comes in really handy for prioritizing calls. I also use virtualpbx.com to route my toll free calls to me based on what phone I'm at.

[Ron Carnell]

After officially closing down for the day, I never answer the phone.

Trouble is, when I'm writing or programming, I won't tolerate being interrupted by the phone either.

I guess maybe it's a good thing I no longer have clients?

More seriously, before retiring, I spent most of thirty years struggling with schedules. If left to its own devices, my body will sleep eight hours and then run fairly well for the next eighteen. You do the math.

Unless the outside world intrudes (which still happens two or three days a month, when I teach), my schedule shifts by about two hours every day. It's a bit after two in the morning here in Michigan, and I'm getting ready to break for a light lunch. By Christmas morning, when family beckons, I hope to have shifted to an almost normal day.

Working at night does have its benefits, though. For one thing, the forums are much slower and therefore measurably less distracting.

[SearchRank]

9-5 is my schedule. I actually start working at 6am and am most productive between this time and 9am when I will start taking phone calls and answering email. After 5pm, I will not take any phone calls and usually will not answer client emails until the following day.

As for working nights at home, my wife won't let me, otherwise I probably would.

[Beth_C]

It's nice that you can live your life and fit your work in around your life schedule but I do think you need to put yourself in your client's shoes. Sure, you have more than enough work right now so it doesn't matter to you, but what of your clients?

They might be working like a dog, have a boss hanging over their shoulder, a Sr. Manager that's screaming about why they are not showing up in Google rankings.

I think when you are self employed or have a small business you owe it to your clients to be even more available than the big guys. They are putting their trust in you that even though there is only 1 or 2 or 3 of you that you will still service them well and be there when they need you.

I'm all for living your life and taking as much down time as you can, but when clients come a-calling, you should be there 100% for them.

Beth C.
PS. I'm not an SEO person so take all of this with several grains of salt. Or maybe make that several grains of beach sand.

[OldWelshGuy]

Hi Beth, I hear what you are saying, but I lay it on the line for my customers at the time I take them on, so they know how it is.

I also in 90% of the cases deal direct with the owners of the business, so they understand how it is, in fact they feel the same way. I always head up my customers that I am currently working with as to non availability, and to be fair it is something they have to put up with, as when they go home at 5.30, I will still be working on their business for them.

If a customer can not see that keeping a promise to your child is more important that scheduling a meeting then frankly \i do not want to do business with them.

HOWEVER... If there was a major league problem with a customer and their business I am there for them. I will work my heart out if there is something that really needs doing, and MUST be done now.

It makes me laugh when people say I tried to call you last night but there was no answer, I think, 'thats why i have an answer service'. If a customer calls up, leaves a message, and sounds uptight then i call them back to make it ok. Often it will be something small that they have just been told that can be sorted in minutes.

I am a compassionate guy really. so with regard

Sure, you have more than enough work right now so it doesn't matter to you

could not be farther from the truth. I treat my customers businesses as my own, I look out for them, I make alterations to their sites regularly off my own back. I keep them ahead of the game.

[anthonyparsons.com]

Thanks for the insight beth_c, nice work. I guess this isn't really a right or wrong topic, though more a broad spectrum of how and when an SEO makes themselves available.

As earlier stated with OWG, because I do work from home, I can afford to meet family requirements during normal work hours, and do so as required. I believe though that if I can do things during a work day that others working 9-5 could not, then it is only fair that I make myself accessible to my customers after hours, especially with my original statement

"some of my clients work a day job and then run home based businesses"

My wife is understanding and tolerant, to extents, I guess with my work requirements. Though at the end of the day, if I have nothing on, and no war stoppers, then family time it is & personal hobbies, online or not.

Edited by anthonyparsons.com, 22 December 2003 - 07:11 PM.

[Jill]

I don't think that most clients would expect you to talk on the phone with them after business hours.

I often email with clients late at night, but don't talk to them on the phone, no way! Of course, I try not to talk to them during the day either, as I don't really like the phone.

The other night, someone called at about 11:30PM on my business line. I didn't want it to wake everyone in the house up, so I answered it. I think I totally surprised the person at the other end who thought they would get a machine. Why do people call when they know they'll get a machine?

I asked for his email address and told him I'd send him info. Why can't people just EMAIL!!!!

Jill

[sanity]

I don't think that most clients would expect you to talk on the phone with them after business hours.

I agree Jill. I have a separate office and a separate phone and it is turned down after hours. Whilst I may be working longer than 9-5 they are my hours and when I communicate to clients by phone. I will often email outside hours and all my clients have my mobile for emergencies. It's only happened once - on a public holiday here (Melbourne Cup) - I fixed the problem and went back the the champagne. It's never been an issue to me or my clients. I think if you establish ground rules from day one everyone knows where they stand.

[Beth_C]

I don't think that most clients would expect you to talk on the phone with them after business hours. 

Maybe they don't expect it, but why not delight them?

For me, if I'm not doing anything else pressing, I'm available to clients. Unfortunately, most of my clients are on a very different time zone from me so one of the pressing things that I am often doing is sleeping.

Maybe being available is more important for me being in Hawaii since it can definitely be a potential objection as to why a potential client might not choose to work with us.

Beth C.
PS. Can I do a quick brag? I had a new client sign up for our services yesterday. She said, "I heard such good things about you. When I called your references, I thought I'd be on the phone with them 10 minutes. They each spent 1/2 hour telling me how great you are!"

Now that was a great xmas present.

[Jill]

I think that's a good point about the timezone thing. I know many people in the UK who do a lot of business with US companies also make themselves available at odd hours.

Being on the east coast US I have it pretty easy in that respect! I generally don't talk to any clients or prospects on the phone without a scheduled phone call anyway.

Beth that's great about your testimonials! (Bragging too...I've had clients tell me similar things! )

Jill

[OldWelshGuy]

Beth after re reading this thread, I think that we have different ideas on the meaning of the word 'available', to me it means directly available, as in I MUST answer the phone regardless of time etc.

You on the other hand seem to mean available as in available out of hours on a pre arranged basis (I think).

I should make it clear that I often meet clients out of hours, often on a weekend or in the evening, provided it is mutually acceptable I do not have a problem with it, in fact I enjoy it. It is nice to get out of the office and away for an hour or two.

I would refer to this as being flexible in my approach rather than being available, and Like you my paying clients have my mobile number (well they have my follow me number which allows me to send calls to where I want, or in fact to send calls from certain numbers to answerphone while allowing other to get through) technology, don't you just love it

Sorry if i came over as offish, it is not how i work, it was lost in the translation