Volume 5, Issue 6, June 2006

CALL THEM BACK AND THEY’LL STOP CALLING YOU

At a time when emails are overwhelming and phone messages can pile up, it is too easy to say to yourself, “I’ll get back to them tomorrow.”

Have you ever sent out an email or left a phone message and then sat patiently waiting for a reply? Think back and remember clearly that feeling of non-reply. Think of that feeling you get when you just simply want an answer to a question. Remember every time you get back to the office or return to your computer and you log in just waiting for that reply.

My question to you (if you are guilty), is why are you not returning those emails and those phone calls? Your answer to me is probably pretty simple in your mind.

“I don’t have the information they want.”

“I was too busy and got side tracked on another issue.”

“I knew the phone call would take up more time than I had.”

“I just didn’t want to deal with that person.”

The person waiting for the reply does not know what is going on in your life or what is going through your mind. All they want is some attention.

Did you know that 68% of relationships fail because of an ‘Attitude of Indifference’?

This concept leads the other party to the conclusion that you don’t care about them or their problem and they will go someplace else to get a solution. The sad part to this is that you will loose more business than just that one person because when they leave, they will tell a great number of people that you don’t care about them. You then become known as being unreliable. Many see an ‘Attitude of Indifference’ as a lack of respect for the other person.

So, what can you do to get out of this rut you are in? And remember, the excuse that you are too busy or that you are overworked is not acceptable.

The first thing to deal with is the fact that maybe; just maybe, you shouldn’t have taken on the task in the first place. Then the call would not be an issue. Learn to negotiate your boundaries. Tell people what you need and the parameters of the relationship. I know that is difficult as we all want to be the helper and it is not easy to say NO.

Second, deal with every issue as it arises. When I arrive in the office in the morning before anyone else shows up, I deal with my emails from the day before. It doesn’t matter if I have the answer or not, I send a reply indicating the action I will take. I also acknowledge email replies with a simple, thanks or done or OK. People want to know that you got the email and that you will take or have taken some action.

Now let’s deal with the statements that I put out earlier.

“I don’t have the information they want.”

Immediate Reply: “Sorry, I don’t have the information you want, but I can get it to you by Friday. Will that be OK?”

Then put Friday in your day planner and make sure you get the information back to them by then. Simple! If you do not have the information by Friday then let them know “on Friday” that you need a few more days. Simple! Caution: Do not go beyond one delay…get them the information they are looking for.

“I was too busy and got side tracked on another issue.”

The only reason we get side tracked is that we don’t take the time to deal with issues as they arise. I make it a point to return all phone calls the moment I get back to the office. Then it is done. Deal with an issue as it comes up and then it is done. I do my best to only handle a piece of paper once, and then it is done.

“I knew the phone call would take up more time than I had.”

The answer to this one is also simple, you make the call and tell the other person that you do not have time to talk but wanted to return the call and then schedule a more convenient time to talk that will be more productive. Simple!

“I just didn’t want to deal with that person.”

These are the most difficult situations. But, I can assure you that these people will not go away, as a matter of fact, they will make your life very difficult. Swallow hard, make the call and get it over with. The amount of time wasted on ducking the person and the issue is not productive. If you deal with the issue in an upfront way, it will generally take less time and you will have less tress in your life. It will free you up to enjoy the people you want to deal with.

Finally, it shows respect when you can return an email or a call within 24 hours. People know you are organized and that you care. People, who know me, know that even if I am out of town on business, if I get a message from you I will return the call and set up a more convenient time to reconnect.

Simple courtesy is something that we should strive to achieve in this busy world. The paybacks will be tremendous.

Ted.

SIDEBAR

By Pierre R. Ouellette Hon.B.A., LL.B. 

Identity theft is becoming an ever increasing problem. As we are all aware if we lose our credit cards or if someone uses our account number the banks will usually take the loss. Even so, the process can be time consuming and the results are not necessarily assured! There is a situation where the consequences are even greater than a few charges on a credit card and can actually lead to a person losing their home. I am referring to cases where a person has stolen another’s identity and actually managed to place a mortgage against their property!

The fraud is, of course, eventually discovered when the loan is defaulted upon and the banks starts its collection process. This usually includes writing the home owner at the property address. This is often the first instance when the true title holder of the property is even aware of a problem. The shock only explodes when he or she learns that the mortgage will actually stand and that they may have to pay back a loan they never took out!

The Courts are often forced to choose which of the victims of a crime should bear the loss. In these identity theft mortgage cases the Courts have apparently chosen the financial institution over the home owner! I submit that it really should be the bank that bears the burden. It is, after all, they who have actually had direct dealings with the culprit and they were the ones who could actually have done something about the situation. Adding insult to injury is the fact that these target properties are for the most part mortgage free when the fraud occurs and that means the odds are it will be an elderly home owner who suffers the consequences! This whole situation needs to be revisited by the Courts and the Government!

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