Whether WhatsApp is a good program or not, is a topic that I have outgrown since many years ago when I used BBM and declared its goodness. Nowadays, to say that it is much worse than X or Y, that their security is not such and such or that they spy on us… as I have already said, it is an outdated topic.
I can agree or disagree with many arguments, but it is also true that Signal (to say one at random) can be a marvel, but if only I have it and another geek I met at the International Security Conference in Las Vegas (where I was not), it will be of little use to me.
Then there are also those who tell me that they don’t use WhatsApp because they spy on us, and then, wait, I’m going to upload a Tik Tok about this…
But what I wanted to put on record here is that I don’t use WhatsApp for work. Since everyone has it, it’s what I use with family and friends and I prefer not to mix up the conversation with my cousin and the veterinary sales client.
What job for the job?
E-mail.
I could end this post here, but I’m not that radical and all that glitters is not gold, spoiler, I use WhatsApp with some client.
For me, the main means of communication with the client is email. Asynchronous, it keeps track of everything, I can filter it, index it, search it, store files, even give it better management with Streak and many other goodies. Although for me the inbox zero does not exist, but rather with two or three zeros and some numbers.
But sometimes it is necessary to tell something else directly to the customer. If it is something I have to show you, I record videos and send them to you with a link in the email, for that, I use Berrycast (with the link above you will get a 20% discount if you are interested), on a subdomain of mine (you have to keep branding). This is always faster than a Zoom.
If there has to be interaction between both parties, I arrange a Zoom meeting (or Google Meet), which I usually record and then send the video link to the client (which I previously upload to Berrycast, we have to keep up the branding).
The telephone
I have no problem using the phone for an appointment, just like Zoom, but already scheduled. I prefer videoconferencing because in addition to both of us seeing each other, I can show my screen to the client or see his screen, which in most occasions is very useful.
However, if the phone appointment is not scheduled, in most cases I will not pick up the phone. That’s because I either don’t have it with me in the office or it’s muted. Mail, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord and Telegram (which I will talk about now) I have them available on the computer and muted or not depending on the moment.
If I were to take all the calls, I would not be able to schedule, attend meetings or whatever I have to do. For that I have a series of phone numbers in favorites that will ring even if I am in do not disturb mode (my wife, my daughter and little else). And since phone calls are usually scheduled, they are usually video calls.
In my invoices goes the phone number, so the customer can reach me or even contact me by WhatsApp, the bad news is that if we have not agreed on that, I will not respond, for what was said above.
A client with whom I have been working for a long time and I know that he will only write to me in exceptional cases, if I have answered him by WhatsApp (spoiler previous), although I only receive one or two messages from you per year, at the right time and on the right days and for the right reasons, but these are the exceptions.
Telegram
If the client has a Silver or higher maintenance plan with me, he can also contact me by Telegram, actually everyone can contact me, another issue is that I attend them by this means and do not refer them to the email.
Telegram is similar to WhatsApp, well, I think far superior. It allows me to have it open in several devices at the same time, to create folders such as the client’s one that I can attend at all times without paying attention to other chats, to incorporate bots for uptime and website failures, among many other features. And I don’t have to give my phone number, it arrives with my user @CarlosLongarela.
In some projects I use other systems for communication, be it Asana, Trello, Blue or other different ones.
In the mornings I do training and private business (I also have a life), so I don’t answer the phone. I also rest, that working in another time slot until the wee hours of the morning, needs its hours of recovery (I am not one of those who say they sleep five hours every day). I never, EVER, make video calls in the mornings, but I always look at email and the client folder and will address problems on a website due to an automated system warning almost always before the client is aware of the problem.
Each professional has his own system, neither better nor worse, the one that works for each one is the right one for him. I do not close myself to any option, but obviously I define my communication channels and adapt myself within a logic. I think my next step, maybe I’ll do it right now, will be to remove my phone number from the bills (Update 4/7/2022: phone number removed from bills).
Can you tell me what works best for you?
Do you work more mornings, afternoons or evenings?
Do you communicate with the customer by mail or by NFC? For Tam-Tam?
