Client Called Three Times on Sunday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the client's problem that they didn't leave a message or send a follow-up email. There is no expectation that anyone answer a random call on a Sunday morning on their personal cell phone.

But, OP's response to her boss that she just doesn't work weekends is odd. If she's making 90k, like a PP mentioned, that's reasonable. If she's at a higher level, that's not reasonable.

Yep. This was the mistake. She has an out since they called while she was at mass with an unknown #. Roll the dice in not calling back, but then when the boss contacted, it should have been:
-I was in church and phone was off.
-I saw unknown caller with no message.
-If this is going to happen in the future we need a plan for how to deal with.

And if comp is only 90K then she is signaling with saying: I don't work weekends due to comp, that she isn't interested in being promoted. Fine, but be okay with that.

Right answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you knew it was a very special client and they called three times it was obviously important. Why didn’t you just call back? Your boss had every right to be up your ass.

Learn to read. The caller was UNKNOWN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was at Brown Brothers Harriman years ago we actually provided client service.

For instance one client on his wedding day Best Man got food poisoning. His financial advisor got a call and filled in on 60 minutes notice in his tux. His wife ran got gift and got dressed attend and he did toast.

We did stuff like that as they are clients and that’s how you make Partner.

You need to go the extra mile. My brother in law was in sales and often took orders one to football games on Sunday, dinner with wife in Saturday. Clients don’t work your schedule you work there schedule

That is incredible client service.

I agree that OP should have called back. OP got three calls in a short span of time on a weekend where weekend calls apparently never happen. That signals a problem - probably with OP’s work product. OP would have saved themselves a lot of trouble by just returning the call.

The client would have saved themselves a lot of trouble by just leaving a message.

Clients don’t have trouble. There will always be someone looking for their business. No need to cater to someone who doesn’t deliver.

Some clients take up more resources than they are worth and should be cut loose.

This is the truth. Only OP's managers know if losing employees is worth dealing with this crazy client. I got to fire a crazy client last year. Most fun I've had at work in a LONG time.

Yeah. Being unable to fire a crazy client means that the company is a bottom feeder or has a culture of mistreating juniors. I worked in an industry that had a lot of crazy clients but the firm was at the very top and could pick and choose. We screened out the crazy ones and fired the ones who became crazy. If we couldn’t fire them (as happens because it was a law firm where that can be complicated) we certainly did not blame employees who suffered the brunt of their bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Client should have left v/m or sent email/text asking for a return call. I have had domestic and international clients call on weekends. If I can’t pick up the call I will text back and say I’ll return their call shortly.

Also had to suffer through a deposition for a client. Took hours of prep plus 4 hours for deposition. I ended up leaving my firm and all of my clients followed me to new firm. Luckily I didn’t have a non-compete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was at Brown Brothers Harriman years ago we actually provided client service.

For instance one client on his wedding day Best Man got food poisoning. His financial advisor got a call and filled in on 60 minutes notice in his tux. His wife ran got gift and got dressed attend and he did toast.

We did stuff like that as they are clients and that’s how you make Partner.

You need to go the extra mile. My brother in law was in sales and often took orders one to football games on Sunday, dinner with wife in Saturday. Clients don’t work your schedule you work there schedule

ABC - Always Be Closing

Did your brother in law have the new Glengarry leads?

Brown Brothers Harriman has a history of helping out. On a handshake they financed part of WWII for US Govt at the very end getting money to the Russian front on an interest free loan. Brown Brothers when US Govt was triple AAA actually was rated higher. Not that they borrow any money. Supposedly Mr Harriman whipped out a checkbook and personally financed the whole US Army!! I was at his vacation home once now a conference center which is 97,000 sf big at one point sitting on 27,863 acres with 97 bedrooms he had a net worth of 100 million in 1909. They treat their clients well.

100 million was a lot in 1909

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't you call after mass? Just check in. You sound unprofessional on this one sorry

Back to reading comprehension class for you. There was no VM or text or any indication it was a work call. Only a fool returns calls from unknown numbers. It's basically asking to be added to a spam list.

Back to blue collar work for you. If you know it's not your family, check in with work. I would phone my asdistant and ask.

This is a dumb reply below any collar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's 100% fine that you didn't answer your phone on Sunday morning. If they didn't leave a message or send an email, that's really on them. But to state that you "don't work on weekends" is a bit much. Unless you are in a role where that is the norm but that certainly isn't the norm for most experienced professionals with "special" clients.

Agreed “don’t work weekends” “arrange for a fee” is a bit dramatic. Just tell your manager the client should leave a message as you didn’t recognize the number. Also state that from x-y time you are in a religious service and do not have your phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't you call after mass? Just check in. You sound unprofessional on this one sorry

Check in? They didn’t even leave a voicemail. If you want a call back you need to at least leave a message.

[Anonymous]

So OP, what happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine, have the meeting! If your client needs responses on Sunday, as a team you need to figure out how to have someone on call and how to communicate that to clients. If you’re not going to give responses on Sunday, you need to figure out how to communicate that to clients.

It doesn’t sound like you’re working at McDonalds, so put on your big boy professional pants, put aside your defensiveness and figure out a good solution as if you’re all on the same team. Which, theoretically, you are.

This is a little harsh, but also true.

But, OP, you shouldn't feel at all in the wrong or be defensive about not answering the calls. I'd tell your manager you are unavailable on Sundays during Mass due to your religious observation. And leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

OP, is the mass part really just a red herring?

If you were sitting at home enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning and got three calls from an unknown number, would you have answered?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is the mass part really just a red herring?

If you were sitting at home enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning and got three calls from an unknown number, would you have answered?

I actually go to church. I take phone with me. I put it in silent mode and check as soon as mass over. The church has nothing to do with not calling back. Can’t believe you are blaming Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, is the mass part really just a red herring?

If you were sitting at home enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning and got three calls from an unknown number, would you have answered?

I actually go to church. I take phone with me. I put it in silent mode and check as soon as mass over. The church has nothing to do with not calling back. Can’t believe you are blaming Jesus.

PP here, what? Who is "blaming Jesus"?

My question is whether the fact that OP was in mass has anything to do with her not answering. If, as she said, in her first sentence, she doesn't answer unknown callers, it does not matter at al that she was in mass.

[Anonymous]

There is absolutely no reason to return the call if they didn’t leave a message or send an email. Missed unknown calls are almost always spam or scammers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is absolutely no reason to return the call if they didn’t leave a message or send an email. Missed unknown calls are almost always spam or scammers.

+1. Normal people will leave a message. This client is likely nuts and "testing" OP to see if they will go above and beyond. I would love to know how OP's manager dealt with this. Hopefully for OP this manager backed them up and let the client know that Sunday a.m. calls aren't going to work. Otherwise I'd say new job for OP.