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With wireless deals almost changing on a monthly basis I wonder how many use these, and to what extent. I know of some who forward there Biz-line to their Cell that has voice-mail etc. Can you run a Yellow Page ad with a Cell Phone listed only. It used to be important to have a local prefix that people could relate to , but now there seems to be so many prefixes as well, does it matter? Some of the calling plans available sound very attractive too, especially where Long Distance comes into play. My plan: $29.99 gets me 100anytime mins.,1000 off-peak, Nationwide Long Distance,Voice-Mail,Caller ID,and my homebase is a 4 State Region. I mostly use it to call my Message Center to retrieve messages from biz-line when I'm out. What's your plan and how do you use it?
------------------ Rich Stebbing #945 RichSigns Rohnert Park CA
Posts: 755 | From: Rohnert Park, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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It would probably be ok to use a cell phone as a yellow page number, but I am still leery of it. At the same time, I am planning on going 100% cellular for my "extension". All the yellow page stuff and ordinary calls will go to the regular phone for screening by the staff. The cell phone has a feature whereby you can jump on the web and put a typewritten message on the cell phone. Then I will call back. With that and my palm pilot, when I am out selling, I should be able to sit under a tree someplace and return calls between appointments. Should save a lot of time. Vic G
------------------ Victor Georgiou AnchorBlanks.com Jack Wills Clipart CD's Designs Cut to Any Size Serving the Trade Only
Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Verizon, 1000 weekend and eve minutes, 1000 mobile to mobile (don't know any other verizon ppl) 250 anytime & free long distance anywhere in the US, (but only from my 5 state calling area which IMO sux) Cost? aprox 45 bucks a month. Locked into 2 yr contract.....can't get a strong signal from my house, only when I drive a ways away. Worth it? sometimes......I have my voice mail pager as my biz #, I can return calls with the cel when I'm away from home, comes in handy when I travel too, calling shuttles, making room rezs, checking in to loved ones from the road. Still funny to hear my parents say "oh? are you calling on your cel phone???, wow!!" Still impresses them! A
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt'on chat
posted
I pay $20 a month which includes 150 minutes.
No fancy dancy extentions. Just a plain cell phone. I mostly use the cel to retrieve my pager calls, which costs me $8/month for up to 300 calls. Or I use the cell to call places before driving over there, such as suppliers, etc.
I'd never give my cell number to anyone. If they call my shop and the answering machine isn't sufficient, they page me. Then I know it's urgent and worth using the cell.
posted
I think people can reduce a lot of stress in their lives by realizing you dont *NEED* 24-hour connectivity to the world, and not worrying about cell phones or pagers.
What's so important that you always have to be contacted RIGHT NOW?
I hate having that contact, always having to worry the phone's gonna ring in the middle of a movie or good meal, or the page that came in that was actually the wrong number so now ya just wasted precious time on the cell phone talking to some poor SOB that has no ounce of comprehension of life or what's going on around them... hehe..
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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I have a pretty basic cel phone deal. $24/200 minutes/ no roaming charges in Canada.
I have it with me whenever I am "on the road" which is daily. I only have it turned on if I have given the number to someone that I want to contact me while I am away. I use it to check my answering machine messages before I leave location "A" to head home so that I can head to location "B" on the way and save some gas.
I also do some volunteering for a local organization that sometimes requires that I am away for the entire day. I find the cel phone very handy for "keeping in touch" with business on those occasions also.
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
posted
I use my cell phone number only for business. I deliver my signs, and think it is important to have a 'real' person answering the phone. I am not in the yellow pages. My plan is 39.00 per month......500 weekday minutes, 1000 off peak and weekend. I use my cel for all long distance calls including out of state.
posted
I got myself a cellphone back in december. I had been running my business prior to that with my pager/voicemail number as my business number, including listing it in the yellowpages with my ad. I think alot of people, when calling, probably would hang up, because most people want a price right away when they are price shopping or whatnot. Also, for my customers, it was a bit of a hassle to page me or leave a message and then i would have to stop at a payphone to call.
I pay $70 a month, including about $10 in tax, for unlimited minutes. I don't get any long distance though, just my local calling area. Now my home line (I work out of my house) is just for my computer, and i pretty much exclusively use my cell phone. Definately get voicemail on your phone, because i didn't have it at first, and sometimes people would say they had tried calling me, even though my phone didn't ring. Must have had a bad signal or something.
------------------ Tyler Malinky
A Step Above Signs Cleveland, Ohio 440.479.8129 440.842.1894 fax
www.astepabovesigns.com tmalinky@astepabovesigns.com or exmayors@aol.com
Posts: 190 | From: Parma, Ohio USA | Registered: May 2001
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I have a cell phone so my family can get hold of me if necessary. They are the only ones who have my number. Each of them also has a cell phone.
We live a ways out of town, and all of us do quite a bit of driving out of the area. If any of them have a problem I want them to be able to find me.
Customers can talk to the machine if I'm not in.
------------------ Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane.
Posts: 2314 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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I have a Telstra account, I've used a mobile phone for many years and wouldn't be without it. For both business and personal they are a wonderful tool. In a smal sign shop it's not possible to work harder or longer but it is possible to work smarter with better use of time. Mobile phones help me to work smarter when they are used properly. Recently a local church phoned my mobile, they wanted to see me about some work, I was parked right outside their church when they called and they had an immediate response. The customer was impressed and I saved quite a bit of time. They can always be turned off when we want some peace. I turn mine off in restaurants, meetings or church.
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
posted
My cell phone is my business number. I have 600 minutes for $60 US a month (no extra charge when in roam areas). When I used my home phone the bill was over $100 each month. I do the majority of my work on the road, my shop is my garage, so it's better in my circumstance. It has worked out for me so far, I've been doing it this way for almost a year.
MC
------------------ Mike Clayton MC Graphics Barnegat, NJ http://www.visualnoise.com/mcg/ mike@visualnoise.com
"I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused"
Posts: 508 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Apr 1999
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i got a cell phone when i set up the mobile sign shop in the step van....sprint 250 min peak, 250 evenings and weekends,call anywhere in the u.s. voice mail, and all for $29.95 a month but you have to buy the phone...i got call forwarding on the shop line 944-5060...is the number on business cards and on the vehicles....i just forward my shop to cell when i leave the house.
------------------ joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-944-5060 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND
Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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My only phone is the mobile phone. The phone line in the Shop/Home is only used for internet, and if cable internet ever hits my neighborhood I will drop the phone line all together. If you call my shop number you will be forwarded to my mobile phone 24/7. I have 600 anytime minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, caller id, text messaging, voicemail, and mobile to mobile free. $69/month with Cingular wireless. Coverage is excellent in my region. I just got one of the new, tiny phones (Nokia 8260), fits in my shirt pocket. Handsfree headset, never have to bother holding a phone while i'm trying to work. I love that. Phone is so small i forget it's in my pocket.
I agree with Gray about being able to work smarter with the mobile phone. It always frustrated me when i would get back to the shop, check messages and find out I need to go see somebody, or pick up more supplies from an area i was just in. It's not that I am concerned about being Johnny on the spot, but if I can save myself aggrevation and unnecessary travel time then it is well worth it.
my 2¢
------------------ MacElite, aka John Rodgers Prodigy Sign Systems Atlanta, GA
Posts: 58 | From: Lawrenceville, GA, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Add in the yellow pages is the number. 500 day minutes and 1000 evening and weekend minutes. Plus 3 hours long distance across Canada. Call forwarding as well as voice mail. Add in the yellow pages (Black on Yellow) 1.25 x 2.5 $150.00 per month. Cell phone $60.00 per month. Land phone with the same company would have been $75.00 per month for only the dial tone in and out! I love the cell as I can answer the call now even if I am on a job site...(write down the customers name and number and return their call if my hands are full..
The one thing I have learnt is never have it on when talking to a customer and never have it on when in the Bathroom!!!!! Oh also don't go swimming with it in your pocket!!!!!!!!
------------------ Raven/2001 Airbrushed by Raven Lower Sackville N.S. deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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I'm on VoiceStream on a month to month (no contract)400 minutes with first minute free on all incoming calls. I call forward the phone when out and never miss a call.The thing I like the most is to be able to satisfy the customer simply by being available at all times.(They aren't used to that) It goes on the shelf at nite for a recharge, so only the days are wireless.
My mom is getting older and I like the fact she can hail me any time she needs to.
I especially like having it on me when out on site,I can check on customer needs..Or availability of payment checks and take care of it on the way back to the shop.
$39.00 a month (thats one 18"x 24")not much when you really think about it!
I have always hated the Answering machines(probably as much as the customer does) and now I don't even have to check on it anymore...I love it!
"Werks fer me, it'll werk fer you!"
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
posted
I have the DIGITALEDGE 1250 from Cingular. 100 bucks a month, insurance on phone damage 3.99, taxes 9.27, total of 113.00 per month. I get 1200 peak minutes and some off peak, last month my total usage was 951 minutes, thats roughly 16 hours of phone time, or two lost days of working time. At $60.00 an hour labor rate thats $960.00 a month of lost wages spent on the phone, but than again with out the phone I would be out of business. When I'm in the middle of a striping job the voice mail handles incoming calls and for emergency calls my phone also doubles as a pager. I counted the # of calls made to and from my phone, 528 total calls, thats an average of 26 calls per day, as you can see I'm one busy Pinstriping Fool, and the cell phone stays in the truck on weekends and evenings, I refuse to let it rule my non-working life!
------------------ Valerie Connot DOA Flatliners North Wales, PA
Posts: 138 | From: North Wales, PA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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HEY RICH! WAVING A HAND TO YA FROM OVER HERE IN NAPA! The cell phone is a very big help to me being a fulltime single dad of a teenaged son for one and for working smart when Im out of the shop. I list only my shop number in the yellow pages but I do give my pager number on my phone machine out going message of real importan calls (my pager fee is zip cuz I trade out the service each year at the local pager/phone store for a holiday splash window each year at chirstmas and im good to go with my pager for the next 12 months) and I only use my cell phone for out going calls and pager for incoming that way it helps to keep the min. down.The plan im on is around $40-$49 a month with 300 free peak and 1000 off peak min. and free long dist charges and on some months I even go over on the min. but not bad.Its a real help and time saver keeping jobs and appointments going smoothly and for last min. supply orders at the end of the day.And the cool thing about it is If I dont want to be bugged...........I just turn it off! But for safty when driving I pull over or I use a hands free head set that only cost around $15.00
------------------ Aaron's Signs & Windows Napa Ca [email]email: aaronssigns@interx.net[/email] ----------------- Important Rule For Life: "Look out for number one... Don't step in number two" ------------------------- If your never the lead dog on the sled... the scenery never changes.
Posts: 241 | From: Napa Ca. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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