Use Phone Or Text To Communicate With Co-Workers?

JH
John Honovich
Feb 22, 2018
IPVM

Curious to how members feel about the best way to communicate with co-workers.

I am anti-text (and instant message). I feel that it takes 5x as long to wait and exchange series of texts than it is to have 2-minute phone call to quickly hash out an item.

So, thoughts?

p.s. - I recognize that some things, like short information updates that require no response, are better by texting but anything that requires back and forth consideration tends to be easier by phone.

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Jason Neubauer
Feb 22, 2018
IPVMU Certified

We use text a lot. guys don't always have their phone in their pocket or they are busy actually installing something.  group texts are a nice thing as well because half of our techs don't check their email except for their paystub.

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JH
John Honovich
Feb 22, 2018
IPVM

Jason, good feedack!

MW
Michael Wells
Feb 22, 2018

Emails to tech's for questions that don't have a time constraint as the company reimburses for cell phones. So, we're required to check and answer emails as needed, but only during our working hours. 

 

In the past, if a site restricts cell phone signal we will use walkie-talkies. Additionally on those sites, if a technician has an iPhone's they will use iMessage on those same sites to communicate since it works off wi-fi and already comes installed on the phone.

 

We've also used Duo/FaceTime to walk other techs through tasks. 

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MM
Michael Miller
Feb 22, 2018

We use Google Chat a lot.  The office people can use their computers and the techs can use their phones. This also gives us a record of the conversation if there are any issues plus we can use video calls if needed to see what the techs are looking at.

 

Voxer is also very useful which we use a lot too. 

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Ari Erenthal
Feb 22, 2018
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I like WhatsApp. It allows you to send pictures and videos, which are saved directly to your phone, you can have the entire group on the chat, messages are archived for months, and there's a desktop interface. 

I frankly dislike the phone, although I make a lot of phone calls. I disagree that it's faster, or noticeably faster, than texting. You can take a second or two to think before responding, leading to shorter, clearer messages. You can always refer back to older messages, so that there's no he-said-she-said or misremembering.  

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MM
Michael Miller
Feb 22, 2018

Does WhatsApp have a Windows client?  If I am in my office in front of my computer I don't want to have to get my phone out to respond a message. 

MW
Michael Wells
Feb 22, 2018
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JH
John Honovich
Feb 22, 2018
IPVM

You can take a second or two to think before responding, leading to shorter, clearer messages.

It depends how long it goes. If it's simple transaction stuff, like "bring the ladder to building 12", I think it's better but if it's more involved like "what do you think of x?" where it will require rounds of back and forth, I think it's more time consuming and distracting.

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Ari Erenthal
Feb 22, 2018
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I use the web app myself. 

JH
Jay Hobdy
Feb 22, 2018
IPVMU Certified

This is a great question, thanks John. It definitely has me thinking of new ways to communicate with techs in the field.

We use group text between our small group, office manager and techs. That way everyone knows what's going on. We need this, the camera is bad, etc

 

For troubleshooting with techs, we always use the phone.

 

But some of the video applications would be great. I will look into that.

 

 

The question is how much do we expect when we do not pay their phone bill?

 

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John Bazyk
Feb 22, 2018
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

It depends on the co-worker or the reason for the text. We have some techs that always come across as hostile over text so we always call them. Our office staff is usually more tactful in writing so we can text them. Typically if I need to talk to a tech I will text them and ask them to call when they can. I don't want their phone ringing when they're up on a lift or something. 

JH
John Honovich
Feb 22, 2018
IPVM

always come across as hostile over text

I am genuinely curious. How does one come off hostile over text? Curse or all caps or? I am just not sure.

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John Bazyk
Feb 22, 2018
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

Hostile may not be the right word. 

When someone responds short, and to the point, it can come across as annoyed or you not wanting to be bothered. You can't hear the tone of voice over a text message. I've found that talking on the phone helps to keep everyone on the same team. Sometimes sending a text to a technician can come across as you blaming the technician for something as well. 

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CR
Chad Rohde
Feb 22, 2018

Portraying and determining emotions. This is the biggest drawback to any non verbal communications. Gets me in trouble quite often. Sending and receiving. 

When I get any type of message that has some emotional subject matter, I just pick up the phone and call. 

U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 22, 2018

I agree that sometimes it's tough to gauge the 'flavor' of texts (or really, any brief written format).

That's why I overuse emojis.  : )

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CK
Carl Kristoffersen
Feb 24, 2018

Definitely use emoji's as I can be quite sarcastic in my responses.

But whatever I read, I do it with a smile, even if they don't want me to be smiling.  :-)

 

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Marty Major
Feb 22, 2018
Teledyne FLIR

"It depends on the co-worker"

I concur.

For instance, most of my fellow coworkers have learned to text me vs calling.

Reason?

I have a tendency to ramble.  

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Ari Erenthal
Feb 22, 2018
Chesapeake & Midlantic

How many times have we spent a pleasant hour or two having a five minute chat?

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CR
Chad Rohde
Feb 22, 2018

I am anti-text (and instant message). I feel that it takes 5x as long to wait and exchange series of texts than it is to have 2-minute phone call to quickly hash out an item.

I would have never guessed this Mr. H. Maybe it's because you basically do it all day long for your business here at IPVM?

I agree with you for the most part. Although the older and more forgetful I get, the more I rely on the documented conversation through a messaging service.

Also comes in handy if there are any arguments about a particular event like who said what and when.

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Sean Patton
Feb 23, 2018

 I like texting with people who are good at and like texting, and call people who don't like/don't want to text. Some people, just don't communicate well through text.

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DB
Dean B
Feb 23, 2018
IPVMU Certified

I think i have talked to my manager maybe 4 times in 3 years on the phone? Otherwise its always thru email. As for my local tech, mostly phone calls because we have much to discuss beginning of the day and end of the day. 

jh
john hubner
Feb 23, 2018

We just started using Slack; it interfaces to all of our devices, phones, tablets computers etc... You are able to create channels for different topics or projects and users can subscribe to the relevant ones for them. You can also share files, start voice or video conversation to one or many across the platforms. The typed conversations are also searchable. I wouldn't use it for asking someone to grab a ladder from the truck outside but we do use it and has been good so far to push information out to tailored groups. 

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CK
Carl Kristoffersen
Feb 24, 2018

Slack is a good product.  We use it for coordinating ops while playing Ingress.  Share the maps, the plan and two-way voice and group texts.  But I'm sure it would also work great while actually working :-) 

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