Cell as your main phone line

[McBraas]

Just wondering how many use a cell as your main phone?
If so, what were your deciding factors?

I just had a comment from a client that said she was reluctant to call because she knew it was a cell, and was uneasy with that. She was refered by a friend, and there are a few telephone exchanges in the area that are known "cell only".
Session went well, and she re-booked, so I'm not sure if it's an issue.

 

[MGSA]

I use my cell phone as my main business line. I didn't think it would be an issue.

 

[Giddyup Giddyup]

I use the cell. Other than some dropped calls now and again, it's not been an issue. Luckily, people are used to dropped calls and more frequently than not, they have been using a cell too, so we're never sure who is responsible for the drop.

I decided on my cell because that way people could reach me when I'm not in the office. If the phone was in the office, I would miss most of the calls, as I am only there when I have clients. When i'm with clients I can't answer the phone. this way, I can answer calls in the store, at home or wherever and make appointments or answer questions at any time.

I do have an office and my business card has an address. Someone might be a little leary, if they recognized the phone number as a cell and you only did house calls, they might be less trusting. It almost makes you look like you are trying hard for people not to really know where you are. Of course, most times, it's just the way things are done. If you do house calls and use a cell, it can look a little mysterious to some. In this business, we don't always want to be giving our home phone and home address to strangers.

I have had people call me late at night or early in the morning and are surprised when I answer. They have thought they are calling an office and were going to leave a voice mail. Sometimes they feel badly that they have "disturbed" me. I always tell them that if it was inconvenient, I just would not answer the phone.

So far, using the cell has worked out well for me.

 

[Sweet P]

being strictly mobile, i have only had a cell. if i have a mobile business, it's only reasonable that i have a mobile phone.
besides, i gave up land lines a looong time ago. i have cable internet. there's no need for a land line.

 

[jesaguy]

cell or reg phone

I use my cell for my biz phone. Just easier to manage and capture callers phone #s as I am usually out and about when someone new calls to schedule. I am notorious for writing the #s down wrong. Don't use caller ID at home so that cell feature helps me to check to make sure I got it right.

So far have not had any problems as our cell #s and regular line #s are not specially designated. I do have the dropped call, message issues from time to time like anyone else, but that is just the nature of the beast and doesn't happen all that often.

 

[tosh2790]

i used my cell as the main line, and although i did have a couple of people say that didn't contact me b/c they knew it was a cell and didn't know if it was a brick & mortar building, the main reason i changed to a real line was b/c clients couldn't find me when they called information.

i had a couple of clients outright let me know how frustrated they were that they couldn't find me b.c i wasn't in information.

so off to get the new phone number i went!

amanda

 

[bobjohnson]

Two of the therapists I go to in town use their cell phones for their business. I have both a land line and a cell, but I use my cell phone more, both in making calls and telling people how to reach me. No one has ever said anything about calling me on my cell. But I also think that so many people have cells now and even people not in business don't have land lines because it's cheaper and more convenient to go another route for internet and phone.

Perhaps those people afraid to call a cell phone are still stuck in the land line ages? I think being cautious of calling a cell phone speaks more about the potential client than it does about how your business "looks" to the public at large.

 

[MiSs FuNkY]

I am mobile, and I have a cell phone, but my business number is my land line. This is largely because I market primarily to seniors, and not only are they less likely to call a cell phone because they don't know by the number that I am in town, but many of them could never hear me if I were on my cell. The land line is more reliable - no dropped calls (which throw off some elderly clients who don't understand that about cells at all!) and it is definitely clearer and louder for them.

You just have to take the "little things" into account. If your target market is the busy professional, the cell phone might be hands-down more appealing to them.

 

[philchelt]

I have a landline but it forwards to my cell phone a vast majority of the time. Obviously I pay for two phones, but in reality it is like having a seperate business and personal line but I can use the two together. I can turn the forwarding off if I want to be left alone but people know it is a land line. Works for me.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I do both in-office, and outcall, and for the last year have used my cell as the primary number. My wifes yoga studio (my office is attached to it) gets the odd call, mostly from students of hers, wanting to book. Most have said when asked, that they didn't want to take up minutes on my cell... go figure.

Do any of your providers allow listing your cell in the yellow pages or regular directory?

 

[cta-music.com]

i'm like rn2wn. i have a office line as well as a cell. i keep saying i'm going to forward my calls but i usually don't even bother. i like to have the separate business phone. it doesn't cost me that much every month and clients can call anytime and just leave a message. i also use my personal cell phone for business. some clients call me on my cell but most use my business line. i have both on my business card.

 

[James B]

I have used a cell as a main line for years. I did that because its cleaner looking on printed materials (business cards, brochures, etc). For a while my associate and I were using both of our cell phones as primary lines. Today the business its own phone number--land line. However, I forward all call to the main number to my cell. I now have that one number professional look but the convenience of the cell. Can't tell you how often I receive a call and book a massage while grocery shopping. I also carry my Zire 72 PDA everywhere to track the schedulesw of all massages and therapists. I love being portable and able to do business anywhere.

 

[Akhmet]

Can't tell you how often I receive a call and book a massage while grocery shopping.

I was in the checkout lane once and was still booking the appointment by the time the person in front of me had gone through with their groceries. The sweet cashier waited so patiently as I fumbled to swipe the card, and sloppily sign the receipt while juggling the appointment book. LOL.

The cell phone as a business line has worked well for me. I'm only in the office when I have clients, and can probably count the actual times I've received calls while in the office. If at all possible I want them to get a human on the other end, so I try to answer whenever convenient. The above checkout lane story is one I have not repeated, and I no longer answer my cell while driving. But I do book sessions in the middle of the supermarket, hardware store (booked one in the garden department of Lowe's yesterday), and parking lots everywhere.

I've had one person comment about it being a cell phone "I didn't want to call you over the weekend because so-and-so told me it's your cell and I wanted you to have your privacy" how nice! And another, elderly client, didn't understand why the prefix was different than the actual town I work in.

If it wasn't so danged expensive to have a landline setup for me in the space I rent I would really enjoy the option of call forwarding and the added privacy a landline would give.

 

[Stefan V]

I've had one person comment about it being a cell phone "I didn't want to call you over the weekend because so-and-so told me it's your cell and I wanted you to have your privacy" how nice! And another, elderly client, didn't understand why the prefix was different than the actual town I work in.

The more I read, the more that I feel I'll stick with the cell. When I think about those that were uneasy about the cell, most were some of my older clients.
I was at lunch yesterday with two other MTs, and over lunch I booked two clients, one MT booked one, and the other MT commented that she should switch to a cell. We had a good laugh about it as she tends to avoid technology.

 

[Allary]

Another point about the cell...no body really has to know it's your cell. treat it like your business line--don't answer when you are "closed." I have always created the illusion of an office practice even when renting a room on an as need basis. And besides, people don't expect other professionals to take calls at all hours.

 

[missundertaker]

Just wondering how many use a cell as your main phone?
If so, what were your deciding factors?

My answer is a different take on your question.

I have 2 land lines and a cell.

The main land line is the one I use on all business cards, etc. and has an answering machine and call waiting on it. I have a second line which is used for the fax/credit card machine and computer. Because I have an alarm system in the office, I must have a land line. The cell phone is used as a provided number for hotel/outcall/on-site business and I also use it with the call blocking function to return calls if I am out of the office. I do not give office clients my cell phone number.