Call minder steps in for owner-driver
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• A new national call-minding service for small businesses is targeting hauliers as potential clients after signing up Leedsbased owner-driver Don Robson.
Farwood Lodge says its operators act more like personal assistants than call minders because they are familiar with the businesses.
Jan Scrine, business development manager for the Huddersfield-based company, says: "We set up a service to find out what each call is about. In Don's case, we find out exactly who the order is from or who the inquiry is from."
Robson, who drives a 38tonne Scania between the UK and the Continent, became one of Farwood's first clients after seeing its advert in the satirical
magazine Private Eye. He says he cannot afford a secretary and does not like taking calls on his mobile when driving.
"Whenever I'm away on a trip or unable to take a call for any reason I just divert calls to my own personal number at Farwood Lodge," he says. "They are answered in my own firm's name." Urgent messages are delivered to Robson's mobile immediately: he picks up less urgent messages when convenient.
The service costs £60 a month with an additional 90p handling charge for each message received. The cost of message delivery depends on whether e-mail, fax or mobile is used.
M Contact Farwood Lodge on 014.84 441248.