Mobile Phone

[Amy_ISS]

Does your employer supply you with a company-paid mobile phone? How do you use it?

If you're not supplied with a phone, do you use your personal cell phone for work? In what ways?

[pacnwstorage]

I have my personal cell and the business phone is also a cell. I can use it for personal calls if I wish and I like I can take it with me away from the facility.

[RandyL]

My circumstance may be a little different as a owner operator. I got a company cell phone about 25 years ago. Early in 2008 I was able to convince everyone that I needed one of the newly released smartphones with an internet connection. This was so I could get messages and quickly respond to tenant needs. I had an issue at that time. My mom was running our office, and refused to listen to voicemails. It drove me crazy.

At that time I hired an answering service, and got a smart phone to put all message responses into my hands.

I do have some of my employees that I currently provide phone service to.

There are times in the past where my employees have had phones turned off. So I like to provide that access to phone and internet on a reliable basis. Adding extra lines are just $35 a month. The carriers usually have some inexpensive smart phones that can be had for free after monthly credits. If the employee wants a better phone they are welcome to purchase one on their own.

[AngelaESSTX]

We have a company cell phone that our office phone is forwarded to. We use it during business hours only. I have my personal number on the keypads for afterhours help...most tenants think it's an answering service number when they call or text me. Now that I have been managing this facility for over 2 years, I rarely get calls afterhours.

[KrisinWA]

We have a company cell phone that our office phone is forwarded to. We use it during business hours only. I have my personal number on the keypads for afterhours help...most tenants think it's an answering service number when they call or text me. Now that I have been managing this facility for over 2 years, I rarely get calls afterhours.

You have them trained!

[KrisinWA]

Previous companies I was on call if something happened, meaning, if security company had an issue, I was called on my cell. This company handles all of that, but we do have a company cell in the office if the regular phone goes down.

[lady5563]

My employer also supplies us with a work cell phone.
Actually I have 2 as I run 2 locations!
I do carry then home with me.
These cell phone numbers are posted on the office door as an EMERGENCY phone number only!
If while at home the phone rings, I will not answer it.
If a voice message is left I will listen to it and decide the importance then if I am going to call anyone back.
I am not paid to answer the phones and process payments after office hours!
That is the sole reason why I will let it go to VM.

[RandyL]

My employer also supplies us with a work cell phone.
Actually I have 2 as I run 2 locations!
I do carry then home with me.
These cell phone numbers are posted on the office door as an EMERGENCY phone number only!
If while at home the phone rings, I will not answer it.
If a voice message is left I will listen to it and decide the importance then if I am going to call anyone back.
I am not paid to answer the phones and process payments after office hours!
That is the sole reason why I will let it go to VM.

I completely understand this point of view, but I look at things a little differently as an owner operator. Since I am the one who returns the messages in the morning, I have no issue dealing with it at night. One less thing on my plate when I get started the next day. Before I changed my cell phone hours I was dealing with 5-6 messages right away every day.

[dakselfstorage]

I forward all office calls to my cell. I used to keep it live 24/7. Sometime last year I started using Do Not Disturb. I set it for 9:00 pm and back on at 7:00am.
I was so tired of the 2:00am calls asking for the price of a 5x5 unit.
I hated calling customers back with my cell as they now have and always use that #. If I am on vacation or a long bike trip I may not look at the phone all day. They get mad that I did not answer. Had they called the office # they would get ahold of our Daughter.
Just last week my wife got a new phone. With xfinity mobile you can add a line for free and split data. I will most likely keep data off and try to use Wi-Fi only. So this will now be the phone to return customer calls. I have the ringer off so they have to call the office number.
I'm gonna teach people one way or the other.

[RMRSS]

No company-supplied mobile-phone, but I have a Google Voice number that forwards to my phone (both voice and text) that I have posted as an "emergency-only" number on the property. That way I don't have my personal mobile number floating out there! We also use XPS (call center) for calls to our main landline number (rolls over after a few rings).

[Bighank]

No co. cell phone. Hooray!