September 4, 2009
Always on the phone
The trouble with being self-employed is that you really should be available day and night. This means being available on the telephone at any time. You never know when someone might need you.
Sod’s law inevitably means that you will be needed at the most inconvenient times. That’s why it pays to have a straightforward phone system in your home that allows you to access any messages when you are out. Like many people I live in an area where the mobile phone network is patchy at best.
This approach has paid off many times. Living in the country I spend a lot of time driving to my customers. And whilst it is possible to have hands-free or a Bluetooth headset, I prefer not to answer the mobile when I am driving. Not only is it not safe. People can hear my appalling taste in music!
When I think about it, a mobile phone is downright dangerous. It seems to go off every time a police car is in view. And I have even had it start trilling in my pocket whilst up a ladder. And if you leave it on at night you are guaranteed to hear from a distant friend or relative ringing up in the early hours.
But the biggest beef I have with phone lines is the pitiful broadband service. I pay through the nose for BT Broadband – yet I regularly receive emails saying I have exceeded my download limit. And to think I was paying 3x more than a similar service from competitors just to have unlimited downloads.
Apparently as far as broadband from BT is concerned there is no such thing. Which is one good reason why my phone system may not be with BT for much longer. I can’t help thinking that Sky seems to have an unbeatable broadband and telephone package – because you effectively get free satellite television thrown in.
But back to mobile phones. Maybe I should get a Bluetooth headset. Not only will it make me look silly and important at the same time, I will finally be able to answer my mobile phone whilst up the ladder. The only snag of course is that I will still be too busy to have a conversation. But hey – at least the person who called will know how busy I am!
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