Ask HN: How to manage number of phone calls without seeming rude?
I've managed to get my email workload generally under control with a fair few techniques - mainly putting aside chunks of time to deal with it.
However, increasingly, I'm drowning in phone calls that are not productive and could have been dealt with in a one line email.
Unfortunately, many of these people are older (who seem not to worry about phoning people a lot) and are my more important clients & customers. I've tried muting my cell, but they'll just call our switchboard instead and ask to speak urgently to me.
In an ideal world I just want to change my voicemail to "Don't call me, email/sms/skype me" but I think it gives off the wrong impression.
However, increasingly, I'm drowning in phone calls that are not productive and could have been dealt with in a one line email.
Unfortunately, many of these people are older (who seem not to worry about phoning people a lot) and are my more important clients & customers. I've tried muting my cell, but they'll just call our switchboard instead and ask to speak urgently to me.
In an ideal world I just want to change my voicemail to "Don't call me, email/sms/skype me" but I think it gives off the wrong impression.