How to politely tell clients I'm off the clock

[OneLife2Live]

I have several clients in my caseload. I can't go to the store without running into at least one of them. I'm always friendly with them if they approach me but I just want to get my shopping done and go home after a long day of work.

 

One day I needed to go to Walmart for some things. I made it through the store not running into any of my clIents until I finished checking out. Just as I finished putting my items in my cart I looked up and there was a client of mine right behind me. She looked at me and I said hello. She immediately started asking me questions about something that was work related. I told her I didn't have the information, it was at my office . She needed immediate assistance so her calling me at my office the next day wouldnt help. She proceeded to ask me questions. I didn't want to dismiss her but I was there on my personal time and had my own family and responsibilities to get home for. She could have called me at work earlier. After about 15 minutes I told her I was sorry but I needed to go. I told her to give me a call tomorrow if she needed more assistance and excused myself.

My dh called and asked me if I was still at the store. He knew I only had a few things to get. When I told him I just left he said "You ran into one of your clients didnt you?" He knows what I deal with as he has been with me when we shop together.

He knows it stresses me out so he will try and get groceries or whatever we may need so I don't have to.

I like my job and my clients but I need to leave work at work. Management wants us too also and have told us numerous times, leave work at work. It's hard when clients approach me.

My clients are always welcomed to call me at my office any time they need to, I just wish they would respect my personal time away from the office and not stop me at the store. I live in a small community so where I shop is very limited.

How can politely tell them that I'm off the clock and to call me at my office without making them feel I don't care? I do, I but my personal time is my time and once I walk out of my office I not only want it that way, I need it.

TIA

[CC12]

Management wants us too also and have told us numerous times, leave work at work.

 

I would ask them if they can suggest any tactful ways of extricating yourself from these situations.

 

But maybe something like, "So sorry, but I have to run. My family is waiting for me. I'd love to talk to you about this during business hours." I would also suggest not really stopping to say hello, if at all possible. Say hello as you're kind of backing away from them, know what I mean? If they start asking questions, say "I'll have an answer for you when I'm in my office tomorrow - call me in the morning! Have a great day!"

 

Or, "Sorry, but work won't let me talk about this in a public setting. I'll contact you when I get to the office tomorrow." It's completely accurate, isn't it?

 

And keep in mind, "Your lack of planning does not equal an emergency on my part" or however that saying goes. I'm not sure what exactly the situation was with that woman at Walmart, but I'm not sure how a chance encounter with you at the store meant the she needed to get her issues addressed right then and there. Why couldn't she wait until you were at the office? Like, if she needed to mail a letter after hours, would she expect the post office to open just for her? It doesn't work like that. It shouldn't work like that with you, either.

[GemmaUK]

No client outside of work hours should cause you 15 minutes of lost personal time unless you want them to.

 

 

You need to just be polite but firm.

 

 

The best way to do this with someone persistent like this one was is to say the same thing and keep repeating it. Do not waiver, just repeat.

 

 

Once they have asked their first question just say something like 'I will be happy to talk to you about this tomorrow, give me a call in the morning' and smile.

If they continue you just cut their speech short and say the same thing again - all with a smile.

Don't get into standing there and listening, empathising, nodding or anything. Say just that one sentence each time and they will soon realise that you will not be giving them any other response.

.

It works!

 

 

ETA: Your husband clearly knows what happens - get him to help you practice so that you have it down and it feels more natural.

Edited April 6, 2015 by GemmaUK

[OneLife2Live]

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate it. You both have wonderful advice.

I will put it into practice the next time I'm in this situation again.

[DrReplyInRhymes]

As much as I agree, and it depends on the line of work, I do understand.

It may simply be easier to give advice as quickly as you can.

Depending on your type of business, its easy to want personal time,

but quickly helping will set you apart, loyal advocates are hard to find.

[Tayla]

hand them your business card with your hrs written on the back,then ask for theirs. Smile and walk away with the card as a reminder to follow up during business hours.

Simple gesture. Gets the pt across.

[whichwayisup]

My clients are always welcomed to call me at my office any time they need to, I just wish they would respect my personal time away from the office and not stop me at the store. I live in a small community so where I shop is very limited.

How can politely tell them that I'm off the clock and to call me at my office without making them feel I don't care? I do, I but my personal time is my time and once I walk out of my office I not only want it that way, I need it.

TIA

 

Say something like, "I'm sorry, I'd love to advise you but I can't right now, I'm running late and need to get home. Please do call me at work tomorrow and we can discuss this further. "

 

People can't feel they can walk all over you, demand your attention on your off time. It's one thing if it happens once in a while but from what you've said it seems to happen weekly and that's not right.

 

You can come off firm, respectful and professional at the same time without pissing them off.

[pink_sugar]

This sort of happened to me today. I work for a regional restaurant chain at the corporate office. There was a franchise meeting today and I was bombarded with questions from franchisees right when I had to leave for another work event. They were questions with answers that took more than a few minutes of explanation. The other thing is...I had already clocked out and was technically on "me" time during that hour until I arrived at the other work event. I informed them that I had to leave in other to get to the other event by X time, but they pressed on for another 5 minutes. I think next time, I will hand them my business card and ask them to give me a call when I'm not practically out the door...they had plenty of time to ask me before I had just clocked out....

[CC12]

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate it. You both have wonderful advice.

I will put it into practice the next time I'm in this situation again.

 

Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

[GemmaUK]

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate it. You both have wonderful advice.

I will put it into practice the next time I'm in this situation again.

 

 

 

You're welcome!

 

 

I actually use that tactic I mentioned all the time within my work environment in a slightly different way and it works like magic! :

 

 

I have a file to send out each month which is pretty sensitive and always has queries on it - which is a part of the process. I request an email back should there be any queries and ask that it is sent both to myself and my Finance Director.

Reason being we could get up to 30 queries so need to keep track of that kind of level of responses.

A few folk have tried coming over to ask a query and I just ask them with a smile to send us both a mail as requested in the mail. They are fine with that (but I have to repeat it 3 to 4 times initially and with a newbie) and soon learn. It really is all about repeating the same line and not stopping, listening, empathising - it will get sorted out but just not right now when I have other priorities.

 

 

There is only one person, a lady who mails, hits send and then immediately runs 50 feet to my desk expecting an answer before I even know she has sent a response. She never will get it and she asks questions that make it obvious she hasn't even looked at the file.

Her manager told her never to directly query anything any longer as of two months ago because this lady does not

 

 

The point of it is that it's a start as you mean to go on tactic, it's by no means rude (I know as I have been on the receiving end of it myself in the past) and puts the point across that your time is 'your time'.

I'm sure that you would help out a client if they suddenly fell over and hurt themselves or fell ill but those are immediate emergencies. Paperwork type stuff isn't so much as it can usually wait until the next day and is not an emergency whilst out shopping - if it were an emergency said client would be emailing you and ding all they could so you would have the latest first thing in the AM rather than shopping.

 

 

Good luck!

[OneLife2Live]

WWIU, I was hoping you'd see this, lol! Thanks for your advice, I always look forward to it.

 

Thank you to the rest of you for your replies! All are great!

 

I was actually really lucky to get out of the store without seeing any clients for the first time in a very long time today. Think it must have been the time of day.

 

I have talked to a coworker who is in the same position. She said if she sees one of her clients at the store she goes the other direction. We like our jobs and our clients but when our day is done, it's our time. Our jobs are very demanding and stressful but we like what we do. We just need to leave work at work.

 

Like someone said, would they expect the post office to stay open after hours because they didn't make it there on time? Or any other business?

 

When I start a new client they get my hours in a packet. They can call me or text my company cell phone during that time.

 

Thanks again for all the great advice!