@ Kelly – Good point. I think many people are reeling from all the changes going on and the lack of help to adjust. “Here’s your new technology,” SHOVE, “Deal with it!”

Um, no. These people are resentful and don’t want the new technology. They resent having to change, and the force of the push. Whatever happened to hand-holding and gentle leading?

Oh, and I HATE Skype. But I jumped through hoops to install it, buy a microphone (a challenge where I live), install that, and get it to work (f**king computer), because that’s how the client wanted to communicate. Yes, sir!

@ Melissa – People use the phone to reassure themselves that you’re real, human and are competent. They also use the phone to make sure that you’re not some wizened old man sitting in a hermit cave and about to scam the hell out of the caller.

@ Anthony – Yep. People fill in the blanks of what they can’t see online. You can tell a lot by someone’s voice.

@ Christie – It’s amazing how quickly someone’s voice can change a relationship.

@ Rachel – Wow. Cheap phone, so you get bonus points!

@ David – Between the daily newcomers online and the old pros who know what the Internet really is, I think that makes a huge amount of people looking for someone to trust.

Hope I got everyone – thanks for commenting!

Stand back. I’m just gettin’ started with the 39s.

I’m in the metro Philadelphia area. I find that there’s an under-served market here too, people who don’t understand or like the “push” of some firms. Creating more understanding and trying to be a “pull” works wonders.

Gentleness helps for newbies to any message, whether it’s technology in general or (ahem) Experience Design, but maybe more to James’ point, gentility is fast going out of style and that really is a problem.

I’m looking for a backlash, not from older folks, but from hyperconnected twentysomethings who may wake up and realize the world is going past them.

Regards,

Kelly

You are correct though, if the medium of choice works for you and your client, stick with it.

Now we conduct so much business online that not only the visual, but the voice, too, is going away for some. While this has many global benefits, as one who still does a lot of local work I wonder if many opportunities in our own backyards are being missed? No office, not even any face-to-face meetings, and surprise! no respect for your hours of operation. Globalization can also be dehumanizing.

There are so many tech-resistant folks out there who still need the services of the techy-er among us. For some, even a speakerphone erodes trust. (Don’t you care about this call enough to hold a receiver?)

Using Skype may seem as though it’s only a psychological barrier, but isn’t any barrier between you and paying client a problem?

Creating a comfort zone is always the hallmark for great Customer Experience. If it works for you and for the client, great. There are lots of clients who are completely comfortable with any level of technology.

I think there’s a lot of growth available for companies who step back from the technology, where possible, and get back to service with a smile. Or at least with a smile in your voice.

James has seen this one: Here’s another post about dialing down the tech.

Regards,

Kelly

I agree that it’s probably easier for most people to make a call on trustworthiness if they can hear a person’s voice. As for me, my intuition is pretty sharp, so I can usually make a pretty good estimate through e-mail. In fact, I’ve started making a little game out guessing whether clients will accept quotes, or when their payment will come in. My accuracy has been pretty good so far.

On the flip side, one of the reasons I never refuse a request to speak via phone is because I want to provide my clients with every opportunity possible to find out what kind of business person I am. Many folks are comforted by the sound of a voice, which in many ways is second only to an in-person meeting — often not possible with the globalization that the business world has reached.

I considered them too when looking at VOIP options, but have to confess I’m a little nervous about the predictions that the company is going bankrupt. True, they’re just predictions at the moment, but I worry. (Here’s hoping they stay in business and provide some competition for Skype!)

And then I discovered Vonage.

Part of the phone issue was money. Whether you use a land line or cell phone, calls get costly and why should I call when I had IM? Then a friend of mine turned me on to Vonage and now I wouldn’t be surprised if James gets annoyed with me calling so much.

I didn’t want to use Skype, there’s just something about it that makes me hesitant. Maybe it’s the set up, I don’t know. Vonage had a great deal with anywhere in the US or Canada free. And should I ever have to call China it would only cost me some outrageously low rate. I also like the fact that I can pay for service a year in advance. BIG plus with me. I like paying a bill once a year and not having to worry about it for 12 months.