Comments on: When You’re Out of the Office https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html a freelance writing resource. Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1765 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:09:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1765 Here I was in the city this afternoon and darned if I didn’t miss an immediate job. I’m on-call with one local company for proofreading, and sadly they called when I was on the train heading in the opposite direction of my computer. Luckily, there will be other jobs with them. I should’ve done what you do, Jen. I meant to send them a note, but I hadn’t heard from them at all until about 11:30. Didn’t they call at 12:30?

We’re never safe. 🙂

]]> By: Jennifer Williamson https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1761 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:18:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1761 I let people know when I’ll be out of the office if a). I’m expecting a phone call with them and think they might try to call me when I’m gone or b). it’s a client who’s sending me stuff daily and I’ve been more or less in constant touch about their project. Other than that I set up an email autoresponder, but only if I’m going to be gone more than a day. I don’t stress about single-day absences. If people freak because I didn’t get back to them about something same-day, we’re probably not the right fit.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1759 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:58:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1759 No, I actually did lose one. I was glad to see him go, though. He was WAY too demanding and expected everyone around him to work until midnight like he did. Good riddance!

Making the client feel like your only client is a mistake, I agree. They then expect fast turnaround, immediate service, instant gratification. It’s okay to say “Today’s booked, but I have some free time in on Thursday. What time works best for you?”

Excellent point on the beck-and-call folks. The woman who expected my IM presence for 12 hours was obviously hating her job and didn’t understand how to push back on her boss.

]]> By: Devon Ellington https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1758 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:33:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1758 Lori, I doubt you’ve lost anyone.

When the full-timers have a fit, I call them on it, “I’m a freelancer. My schedule does not coincide with yours. I’m meeting the contract terms and you like the quality of work. Deal.”

I know lots of freelancers believe you should make every client feel like your only client, but I don’t. The clients are as replaceable as I am.

I honor the contract, do the work, and they get higher quality from me than most of the others under consideration. When and where I do it is my call, not theirs.

Most of the ones who demand beck-and-call without retainers are the ones who hate where they are and don’t have the courage to change the situation. I can choose to let their cowpatties hit the ground instead of hit me.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1756 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:03:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1756 Yes you can! And you can flirt with the single Hawaiian men!

]]> By: Leigh https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1755 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:15:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1755 Well, it’s the tradeoff for being single with no children! I may not have anyone to escort me to the opera this winter, but at least I can travel when I want to!

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1754 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:33:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1754 Oooo! Now I’m envious!

]]> By: Leigh https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1753 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:26:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1753 Nah, I’m good. I’m thinking about going to Hawaii next year, so I need to save up my time so I can get away without any guilt!

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1752 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1752 Good luck and good thoughts for your surgery, Susan. I’ll be thinking about you!

Angie, LOVE the image of the “teenaged anchors.” Wait. They head off to college and become the money pits. ;))

Devon, I agree that our jobs are freelance and as such we have full control over our existences. I have run up against resistance in one form or another whenever these full-timers can’t reach me. Not that the ones I’ve lost were that pivotal to my career, but I wonder how many others may have disappeared due to my absence?

Leigh, take a vacation, girl! :))

]]> By: Angie Ledbetter https://wordsonpageblog.com/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html#comment-1751 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:08:00 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2008/10/when-youre-out-of-office.html/#comment-1751 I'm not away too often given I have my three teenaged anchors around, but if I was, I'd only give out that info. to certain people. And it would be based on a NTK (Need to Know) basis only.

Oh, these beck & call people! Bah!

]]>