job traveling and cell phone caller id issue

Hi
I do service for a living and in that I need to use the cell phone a
lot to help in finding places/customers.
I usual just call the customer to go the final mile, if you will.
However, I value my cell phone privacy, and with the increasing number
of people who block incoming calls from those of us who prepend the
*67, it is making it difficult to hide my phone number...hence a call
to my office to have them call the customer and then get back to me--a
real PIA.

Is there a way to alter the number displayed on the call recipient's
caller id display or some way to get around the problem I described
above?

I am toying with the idea of a prepaid track phone type thing and just
change the number on a regular basis.

Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.

Any feedback will be appreciated.
Thanks
Joe

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:22:53 -0500, up for the game
<abacus@computers.com> wrote:

>Is there a way to alter the number displayed on the call recipient's
>caller id display or some way to get around the problem I described
>above?
>
>I am toying with the idea of a prepaid track phone type thing and just
>change the number on a regular basis.

Why not use prepaid long distance cards instead. The few times I've
used them, they showed up as various numbers, all out of state.

"up for the game" <abacus@computers.com> wrote in message
news:88sik290ebihk3tvdplo9lmfc0s2s02e84@4ax.com...
> Hi
> I do service for a living and in that I need to use the cell phone a
> lot to help in finding places/customers.

<snip>>
> Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
> will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.
>
> Any feedback will be appreciated.
> Thanks
> Joe
>

Here's some feedback as you requested: If you're in the service business--
be very very happy your customers are calling you!!

On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:32:21 -0500, The Ghost of General Lee
<ghost@general.lee> wrote:

>On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:22:53 -0500, up for the game
><abacus@computers.com> wrote:
>
>>Is there a way to alter the number displayed on the call recipient's
>>caller id display or some way to get around the problem I described
>>above?
>>
>>I am toying with the idea of a prepaid track phone type thing and just
>>change the number on a regular basis.
>
>Why not use prepaid long distance cards instead. The few times I've
>used them, they showed up as various numbers, all out of state.

Hey, that is a good idea! I am not sure how they would work though as
the only charges are for minutes used. I will call VZ today and see if
there is a way a calling card can be used for this.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Joe

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 07:13:16 -0500, "Butch Haynes"
<butch@huntsville.prz> wrote:

>"up for the game" <abacus@computers.com> wrote in message
>news:88sik290ebihk3tvdplo9lmfc0s2s02e84@4ax.com.. .
>> Hi
>> I do service for a living and in that I need to use the cell phone a
>> lot to help in finding places/customers.
>
><snip>>
>> Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
>> will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.
>>
>> Any feedback will be appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Joe
>>
>
>Here's some feedback as you requested: If you're in the service business--
>be very very happy your customers are calling you!!
>
Butch
Sounds good, but customers do the damndest things and not always at
times that in any way could be construed as convenient or appropriate.

I am very thankful they call, but need to have the calls directed to
their proper location, otherwise there really is never any 'time
off'...day or night....

Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Joe

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On 02 Nov 2006 in alt.cellular.verizon, up for the game wrote:

> Hey, that is a good idea! I am not sure how they would work though
> as the only charges are for minutes used. I will call VZ today and
> see if there is a way a calling card can be used for this.
> Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Personally - if I were expecting a service call, and got a call from a
number somewhere in the Midwest that I wasn't expecting, I'd do about the
same as I would on a blocked number.

You mean that you only have one cell phone? Get a second one, use one
strictly for work and one strictly for personal use. Turn the work phone
off after work hours.

--
Joe Makowiec
http://makowiec.org/
Email: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe

Butch Haynes wrote:
> "up for the game" <abacus@computers.com> wrote in message
> news:88sik290ebihk3tvdplo9lmfc0s2s02e84@4ax.com...
>> Hi
>> I do service for a living and in that I need to use the cell phone a
>> lot to help in finding places/customers.
>
> <snip>>
>> Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
>> will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.
>>
>> Any feedback will be appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Joe
>>
>
> Here's some feedback as you requested: If you're in the service business--
> be very very happy your customers are calling you!!
>
>

I was thinking the same thing. It is something of an annoyance but a
really good problem to have if thats what feeds you.

up for the game wrote:

>>> Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
>>> will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.
>>>
>>> Any feedback will be appreciated.
>>> Thanks
>>> Joe
>>>
>>
>> Here's some feedback as you requested: If you're in the service
>> business-- be very very happy your customers are calling you!!
>>
> Butch
> Sounds good, but customers do the damndest things and not always at
> times that in any way could be construed as convenient or appropriate.
>
> I am very thankful they call, but need to have the calls directed to
> their proper location, otherwise there really is never any 'time
> off'...day or night....
>
> Thanks for taking the time to reply.
> Joe

Used to do service on computers, and had the same prob with the cellphone..
I just changed the voicemail message (made it nice/thanks for
calling/unavailable/will call back soon/etc)... Amazing how many calls came
in whenever I was in the bathroom

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 11:51:21 -0500, "Peter Pan"
<PeterPanNOSPAM@AkamailNOSPAM.com> wrote:

>up for the game wrote:
>
>>>> Once customers get hold of the cell phone number, the damned thing
>>>> will just ring a lot and not always during regular business hours.
>>>>
>>>> Any feedback will be appreciated.
>>>> Thanks
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>
>>> Here's some feedback as you requested: If you're in the service
>>> business-- be very very happy your customers are calling you!!
>>>
>> Butch
>> Sounds good, but customers do the damndest things and not always at
>> times that in any way could be construed as convenient or appropriate.
>>
>> I am very thankful they call, but need to have the calls directed to
>> their proper location, otherwise there really is never any 'time
>> off'...day or night....
>>
>> Thanks for taking the time to reply.
>> Joe
>
>Used to do service on computers, and had the same prob with the cellphone..
>I just changed the voicemail message (made it nice/thanks for
>calling/unavailable/will call back soon/etc)... Amazing how many calls came
>in whenever I was in the bathroom
>
P.P.
Exactly on target---same business too...nights, weekends and almost
anytime. While it is good for business, there has to some time for
other things. I agree on your last comment!

for many years there have been no hours other than work--caused
problems that I will not go into here, but one can surely guess.

I certainly want to hear from customers, but I would like to set some
hours. My initial idea was a separate prepaid phone and that might
just be the best. I am now opening a shop which should help cut down
the hours and deal with the caller id thing from the office phone,but
I am sure the odd hour/time phone calls will not slack off much...they
will just go to voice mail. When someone leaves me a voice mail I am
usually in the car talking to someone else and then I need to call
back, which is the real prompter fo rthe original post.

I appreciate all the responses.

That 2nd phone idea, while it would work, would mean just another item
to be carried around...probably leave it in the car and use it to call
customers when I can't find their homes or for some other good reason.

Voice mail change could work for me too.

Hard to believe, that, with all that is available, apparently no one
has been able to spoof a calling number or a caller id info.

Joe

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

up for the game wrote:

>
> I certainly want to hear from customers, but I would like to set some
> hours. My initial idea was a separate prepaid phone and that might
> just be the best. I am now opening a shop which should help cut down
> the hours and deal with the caller id thing from the office phone,but
> I am sure the odd hour/time phone calls will not slack off much...they
> will just go to voice mail. When someone leaves me a voice mail I am
> usually in the car talking to someone else and then I need to call
> back, which is the real prompter fo rthe original post.
>
> Joe

Consider what I finally did, and bit the bullet and went with both a land
line and the cell phone for business (printed biz cards with both numbers,
vm said call the biz # during biz hours or leave a message).. Even made ad
stickers for peoples puters with my cell # on it, so 2nd and 3rd shift
people could call... Amazing how much business increased.. Major comment was
that it was awful nice to have a number to call 24/7, even if I wasn't able
to answer live and they had to leave a message, at least they felt like they
were doing something..

Maybe you could find ways to turn it into an advantage for you and increase
your biz, rather than a hassle?

On Fri, 3 Nov 2006 00:40:00 -0500, "Peter Pan"
<PeterPanNOSPAM@AkamailNOSPAM.com> wrote:

>up for the game wrote:
>
>>
>> I certainly want to hear from customers, but I would like to set some
>> hours. My initial idea was a separate prepaid phone and that might
>> just be the best. I am now opening a shop which should help cut down
>> the hours and deal with the caller id thing from the office phone,but
>> I am sure the odd hour/time phone calls will not slack off much...they
>> will just go to voice mail. When someone leaves me a voice mail I am
>> usually in the car talking to someone else and then I need to call
>> back, which is the real prompter fo rthe original post.
>>
>> Joe
>
>Consider what I finally did, and bit the bullet and went with both a land
>line and the cell phone for business (printed biz cards with both numbers,
>vm said call the biz # during biz hours or leave a message).. Even made ad
>stickers for peoples puters with my cell # on it, so 2nd and 3rd shift
>people could call... Amazing how much business increased.. Major comment was
>that it was awful nice to have a number to call 24/7, even if I wasn't able
>to answer live and they had to leave a message, at least they felt like they
>were doing something..
>
>Maybe you could find ways to turn it into an advantage for you and increase
>your biz, rather than a hassle?
>
Thanks for the post.
I currently call-forward to my cell phone when I am not in the shop.
That is one reason why using the cell to call back is important as it
can be done while in the car, which is where most of the spare time is
spent..

The call forward from the land line gives people one number to
call-anytime. Answering the calls is not a problem--if I am not
'open', then they can leave a message, all the time calling the land
line number.

Yes, it is a good problem to have, as it does provide the means for
things. However, we all need some time away....and I am trying to set
up 'regular business hours'.

The post has given me some insight and ideas.

I appreciate them all.
Thanks
Joe

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

up for the game wrote:

> Thanks for the post.
> I currently call-forward to my cell phone when I am not in the shop.
> That is one reason why using the cell to call back is important as it
> can be done while in the car, which is where most of the spare time is
> spent..
>
> The call forward from the land line gives people one number to
> call-anytime. Answering the calls is not a problem--if I am not
> 'open', then they can leave a message, all the time calling the land
> line number.
>

How about dumping the land line and porting that number to your cell?
Then when you call they get your business number on CID. Right now you
are getting the calls on your cell anyway when they call your landline
and you either have to decide to answer them or let them go to VM.


> Yes, it is a good problem to have, as it does provide the means for
> things. However, we all need some time away....and I am trying to set
> up 'regular business hours'.

There is no reason you can't enforce your own personal rules about
answering the phone such as all calls go to VM when at lunch, dinner and
say after 7 PM. I find people don't mind at all as long as they know you
will reliably return their call.



>
> The post has given me some insight and ideas.
>
> I appreciate them all.
> Thanks
> Joe
>