Poll: Do you give a contact telephone number to clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you give a contact telephone number to clients?".
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| | | | | Both landline and mobile | Jan 31, 2022 |
My e-mails have my landline and mobile numbers as do my invoices. So, they are no secret but I must say that I haven’t received a single phone call from a client since I moved back to Lisbon six years ago. However, in Brussels I frequently got phone calls at inconvenient hours (very early in the morning, very late at night, during the weekend) from people looking for a sworn translation…
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 15:21
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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My mobile phone number is listed on my résumé and on my invoice (and on my web site), but not in the signature of my e-mails. I prefer to be contacted by e-mail only. I've had clients attempt to contact me via WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, etc., and the fact is that I either don't use those services often enough to see a client's message in good time, or I typically don't accept messages from strangers.
We do have a landline but that's just because it's included in our in... See more My mobile phone number is listed on my résumé and on my invoice (and on my web site), but not in the signature of my e-mails. I prefer to be contacted by e-mail only. I've had clients attempt to contact me via WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, etc., and the fact is that I either don't use those services often enough to see a client's message in good time, or I typically don't accept messages from strangers.
We do have a landline but that's just because it's included in our internet-and-television subscription -- we never actually use it; the phone is connected and can potentially ring, but mostly it just gathers dust. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:21
Spanish to English
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Although my telephone number is on my invoices and probably elsewhere, I much prefer to communicate with clients by e-mail, as this way I have a record of the conversations.
Some clients have taken to contacting me by WhatsApp recently, but I really wish that they wouldn't, as I prefer to keep things like that and phone calls for my small circle of friends and family.
Plus, I get a lot of cold calls, so tend to have unknown numbers blocked on my phone, and keep the ring tone turned ... See more Although my telephone number is on my invoices and probably elsewhere, I much prefer to communicate with clients by e-mail, as this way I have a record of the conversations.
Some clients have taken to contacting me by WhatsApp recently, but I really wish that they wouldn't, as I prefer to keep things like that and phone calls for my small circle of friends and family.
Plus, I get a lot of cold calls, so tend to have unknown numbers blocked on my phone, and keep the ring tone turned down as low as possible. ▲ Collapse
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My mobile phone is featured on my CV but I tend to communicate with my clients through emails, also because I like to have written info and be 100% clear.
If they feel like calling me it's fine, but I prefer emails.
| | | | | I fully agree with Neil | Jan 31, 2022 |
neilmac wrote:
Although my telephone number is on my invoices and probably elsewhere, I much prefer to communicate with clients by e-mail, as this way I have a record of the conversations.
Some clients have taken to contacting me by WhatsApp recently, but I really wish that they wouldn't, as I prefer to keep things like that and phone calls for my small circle of friends and family.
Plus, I get a lot of cold calls, so tend to have unknown numbers blocked on my phone, and keep the ring tone turned down as low as possible.
I agree for all the same reasons.
Furthermore, I am deaf. Even with enhancements on my hearing-assisted landline and hearing aids linked to Bluetooth on my cell, I only understand certain voices and speaking styles. I'm forever asking people to slow down or repeat what they said and it gets to be a mess. Certainly not a good look for a professional translator! However, it's great for crank calls. The callers hang up quickly; they may think that it's an intentional act, which is OK with me.
| | | | Liena Vijupe
Latvia
Local time: 16:21
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
Mobile number is the only one I have and it is shown on my CV and invoices, as well as in the forms new clients almost always ask to fill out, but I hardly ever receive any calls. Maybe once a year if there is something urgent or when they want to discuss something particular in detail, but then they usually ask to arrange a time in advance.
Years ago, before the uptake of smartphones and mobile internet, one client used to send sms notifications about e-mails. Nobody has ever tried to con... See more Mobile number is the only one I have and it is shown on my CV and invoices, as well as in the forms new clients almost always ask to fill out, but I hardly ever receive any calls. Maybe once a year if there is something urgent or when they want to discuss something particular in detail, but then they usually ask to arrange a time in advance.
Years ago, before the uptake of smartphones and mobile internet, one client used to send sms notifications about e-mails. Nobody has ever tried to contact me via WhatsApp or other means except e-mail. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 15:21
Member (2020)
English to German
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I have my mobile number in my email signature and my invoices, but very rarely actually get any calls. All of the few calls I ever got from my clients were actually because of urgent jobs (or jobs they perceived as urgent at least) after I didn't reply to emails for "too long", because it was late afternoon/early evening and I had long shut down my computer.
Other than that, there has been exactly one attempt to contact me via WhatsApp and one particularly pushy PM actually sent me an old-... See more I have my mobile number in my email signature and my invoices, but very rarely actually get any calls. All of the few calls I ever got from my clients were actually because of urgent jobs (or jobs they perceived as urgent at least) after I didn't reply to emails for "too long", because it was late afternoon/early evening and I had long shut down my computer.
Other than that, there has been exactly one attempt to contact me via WhatsApp and one particularly pushy PM actually sent me an old-fashioned SMS text, but I strictly do not use any messengers or other text messaging apps for business, especially considering that SMS sent to foreign numbers are still prohibitively expensive in Germany as of 2022 (as in, it would not render me poor, but would definitely not warrant a reply). ▲ Collapse
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I give clients my landline - I pick it up immediately when I am working, and it is answered when there is someone in the house.
Trusted regular clients get my mobile number, but I do not show it publicly - I try to keep it private. However, if I agree to do a job when I am on the move, I may give the client a phone number. Very often I do not - I check my mails several times a day, and that works well.
Call me old fashioned, but I am not on call 24/7, and when I am tak... See more I give clients my landline - I pick it up immediately when I am working, and it is answered when there is someone in the house.
Trusted regular clients get my mobile number, but I do not show it publicly - I try to keep it private. However, if I agree to do a job when I am on the move, I may give the client a phone number. Very often I do not - I check my mails several times a day, and that works well.
Call me old fashioned, but I am not on call 24/7, and when I am taking a break or visiting family, either I cannot take on work, or I cannot solve problems immediately anyway. I let clients know, and then they can work out what to do! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:21
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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| No, I don’t. | Jan 31, 2022 |
Because that would mean they can call me any time, as I have clients in other time zones and they are not always mindful of that, especially those who enjoy phone contacts.
They can reach me by email, and can also talk to me via scheduled calls only.
My experience with clients who prefer phone to emails was not good (freeloaders, low payers, borderline scammers, etc).
| | | | matt robinson
Spain
Local time: 15:21
Member (2010)
Spanish to English
Although not the usual method of communication, which is email. I very occasionally receive a call from clients, but usually in the context of some "emergency" rush translation or query, and only if they have not been able to reach me by email.
| | | | | Of course not | Jan 31, 2022 |
Nor do I give them my email address. I like the peace and quiet.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:21
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Q. "Do you give a contact telephone number to clients?"
A. No.
| | | | | Both Landline And Mobile, But Email Preferable | Jan 31, 2022 |
Clients have called me on both, although much more on my landline, from England, Ireland, and perhaps even China, and from the US, too. And I have received calls on my mobile from prospective clients from the US and abroad, but not very often. I greatly prefer that they contact me through email, since I hang up almost immediately if after I pick up and say"hello" there is no immediate response from the person on the other end (usually telemarketers using calling software). It bothers me to think... See more Clients have called me on both, although much more on my landline, from England, Ireland, and perhaps even China, and from the US, too. And I have received calls on my mobile from prospective clients from the US and abroad, but not very often. I greatly prefer that they contact me through email, since I hang up almost immediately if after I pick up and say"hello" there is no immediate response from the person on the other end (usually telemarketers using calling software). It bothers me to think that, in that case, I might have hung up on a client or clients who wanted me to do a translation, or even worse, translationS for them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 10:21
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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Have you ever seen any companies or professionals that sell their services and don't provide a phone number (at the very least)? So you expect what? that Harry Potter helps you out?
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