Hopefully you’ve read part 1 of this post and are fully briefed on my generation’s obvious distaste for the inflexible old-fashioned outdated landline. If not, give it a click and let the class know when you’ve caught up. slacker.
I’m going to segue for a second and talk about Google Calendar. If you haven’t discovered this gem, stop wasting time. It allows you to graphically schedule yourself (DUH!) but it also allows you to share calendars and publish them via several tools. For example, I have a personal calendar that I share with my parents and friends so that they know when I’m available, and when I’m booked. “But this makes me stalker bait.” True, but there’s nothing like a stalker/friend to boost your ego. Just hide all the sharp things in the house. Plus, if you haven’t added the friend specifically, all they see is “busy” or “available.” Not where, when, etc. So shut up.
I also have a work calendar shared with my business partner that lets us plan out project breakdowns and comment on each others work. Don’t have a palm pilot or pocket pc to view this calendar? Google will text message your cell phone a daily agenda at the time of your liking, and then a 10 minute reminder text before every new event with details such as location and attendees. My favorite feature is “quick add.” If you are just dumping a weeks worth of appointments in quickly, you are able to tell gCal “meeting with bob at 100 Main Street 7pm tomorrow“. Note the use of tomorrow and not a specific date. The system calculates your current date and places the event intelligently. It will also auto-detect the address you put in, and give you a link to a google map of the location so that you can derive the best directions from home base to point b. BRILLIANT. Plus, it interfaces with your favorite desktop based client like iCal or Outlook. No lose situation!
But I digress. Phones. The bane of my existence. When it rings I make a quick calculation of how much more work this could add to my day. “hmm.. 215. who do I know in the 215 area code that isn’t already in my phone book?” Natasha knows all too well that rather than take a chance at a new business contract, I will let it go to my *cue the ominous music* voicemail for checking later because it could be that “creepy person from the other night.” My voicemail is where calls go to die. There are fossils from last year turning into oil as we speak.
Note to my readers: don’t ever leave me a voicemail. It’s a waste of your energy and my battery life. Send me an email, its much more efficient. End of note.
It’s not that I hate to talk on the phone (which I kinda do) as much that I can’t seperate the personal call for the party tonight from the client who wants “blue instead of green because it looks more indie” at the 25th hour.
Enter ingredient 1 of the solution: online voicemail and virtual phone numbers. There have existed for some time cheap online services that will give you a 800 number or even a “local” number in the area code of your liking and a voicemail account for pennies a day. You can then call in or visit the website to check your mail. This is great if you want a business account or if you have multiple employees who need their own mailboxes, but not the budget for a PBX. The downside is that callers realize after call two or three that you never answer this number and it’s just a digital repository of their complaints. Even if you check it frequently, the lack of human being at the other end is a turn off. I personally think this is a direct result of the -computerized- answering service that so many telecoms and tech companies use. Or even worse, getting the hired voice in New Delhi that reads off a manuals but has no idea what the hell they are talking about. This is looking hopeless.
But wait, there’s a solution. Some services allow forwarding. So you have the new phone number forward to your cell phone. It shows where its coming from in your caller id, and if you are off the clock you just let these “work” calls spill over into voicemail. That would be a solution except for the fact that your phone still RINGS AT 1AM IN THE MORNING. Ignore it or not, that client just broke your REM cycle, and that hot girl in the space suit is never gonna make out with you now. Nobody thinks people that share an umbilical cord with their cell phones are hot. Deal with it.
Is anybody still here? Impressive. See, i just weeded out the blog parasites. Only the really cool people can make it to level 10 eli blog reading. Pat yourself on the back. Here is my big idea that I have neither the time nor money to implement. In fact, I’m not even interested in implementing it. But if someone did it, I would buy an account in a hot second.
Tie the virtual phone number to your -ingredient 2- google work calendar. When you are blocked out as busy, like in that oh-so-important conference call, paying a visit to the porcelain god, or just plain off the clock, the system knows and routes the call directly to voicemail. When you are in work hours and available the call is instantly sent to your cell for answering. Simple, effective, terrific. Do it. It’s like your own secretary minus the need to buy him/her a ham at christmas.
Was the read worth it? probably not. odds are you want the past 15 minutes of your life back. Well I’m sorry. I’m not in that business. But if you’d like me to design the site that offers this feature DROP ME A LINE! Wondering if I’m available to talk numbers? Check my Google Calendar. *smirk*
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