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I own a company and some of my clients are older (over 65). My company is very demanding and fast paced. Time is *always* of the essence and there is never enough of it. When I need to get some information from my owners I text them. Because the nature of my work is physically demanding and again, time is of the essence, making a phone call is not the most efficient way to communicate. Texting is perfect. It's short, sweet, to the point and allows me to check my texts when I have a second to do so, rather than taking precious WORK TIME out to make a long, laborious phone call.
Older people, even those with cell phones, do not seem comfortable texting. They would much rather call me and spend FOREVER on the phone going into, long, drawn-out, unnecessarily detailed explanations of things. Sometimes I want to scream..."Get to the point".
If I am especially busy, I will be unable to answer the phone at the INSTANT that they call. Of course, they will *always* leave a voice mail and go into painful detail about whatever it is they want to talk about. My favorite messages are the ones that say. Please call me. Then they can't understand why it took me three days to find enough time to call.
How do I get older people to "get with it?" What it is it about older people that they have absolutely no sense of urgency about anything? I don't have all day for them to explain some big long convoluted story that ends with, "Would you check to see if the sink is leaking?"
I agree that texting is best, but some people won't or can't. The sooner you accept that a percentage of your customers will call, the better. It is what it is, be thankful you're busy.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,345 posts, read 8,557,056 times
Reputation: 16679
Quote:
Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke
If you are incapable of providing service for them, fire them as clients and only do business with younger clients.
Exactly. The older people take too much time and you are too busy to accommodate them so let them go elsewhere. You obviously don't want their business so do both parties a favor and have them patronize another business.
I'm an older person and texting is very slow for me whereas a phone call is faster. If I have multiple questions I can get quicker answers at one time instead of a chain of texts back and forth.
Well, I'm at the low end of your "older persons" who loves texting or emailing when possible as I have had a lifetime of dreading making certain phone calls. It doesn't mean that I can't – I do – but I don't like it unless it's someone I communicate with in that way frequently. Typing my communications was made for me! If I can accomplish what I need to do in type, I'm happy. But sometimes you can't.
I also am damn good at getting to the point and not taking anyone around the mulberry bush with unnecessary details or keeping anyone on the phone as my daily entertainment.
But I don't know of any way you're going to get "older people" to "get with it" as you desire. Some people are used to what they know, some have trouble seeing a screen or manipulating text, some simply don't express themselves well in type and prefer voice.
If you're actually in Branson, I'm sure there is no shortage of old people. If your business depends on these customers, I suppose you could send out an email or snail mail letter to explain how you'll get back to them faster if they will text you. But since most of them are unlikely to adapt to your preferences, you need to adapt or as someone else said, find younger clients. And good luck with that. Or hire someone to field the phone contact with clients who can boil the messages down for you and make it snappy. Then you can tell them what to say when calling the client back unless there is a strong reason why they need to talk to *you*.
I wouldn't be interested in patronizing your business if I detect that you find me tedious and make you "want to scream." I'd also be plenty irritated if I knew you were complaining that your time is so valuable and mine wasn't. That's human nature, I suppose, but I'd keep a lid on it if I were you.
I own a company and some of my clients are older (over 65). My company is very demanding and fast paced. Time is *always* of the essence and there is never enough of it. When I need to get some information from my owners I text them. Because the nature of my work is physically demanding and again, time is of the essence, making a phone call is not the most efficient way to communicate. Texting is perfect. It's short, sweet, to the point and allows me to check my texts when I have a second to do so, rather than taking precious WORK TIME out to make a long, laborious phone call.
Older people, even those with cell phones, do not seem comfortable texting. They would much rather call me and spend FOREVER on the phone going into, long, drawn-out, unnecessarily detailed explanations of things. Sometimes I want to scream..."Get to the point".
If I am especially busy, I will be unable to answer the phone at the INSTANT that they call. Of course, they will *always* leave a voice mail and go into painful detail about whatever it is they want to talk about. My favorite messages are the ones that say. Please call me. Then they can't understand why it took me three days to find enough time to call.
How do I get older people to "get with it?" What it is it about older people that they have absolutely no sense of urgency about anything? I don't have all day for them to explain some big long convoluted story that ends with, "Would you check to see if the sink is leaking?"
You don't. I work with a lot of Medicare patients. They do not use email or texting, etc. It is what it is. I have to meet them where they are and work with them on their comfort level; not mine.
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