Do you use the text messaging function on your cell phone?

[Besoeker]

I'm an old guy with one foot in the grave. Call me Victor Meldrew:smile:
I like the fact that we can communicate in so many different ways.

My take....
Texting is pretty good for short messages.

"Hi Mr B. Job done. Kit working fine. Flying home tomorrow."
"Great job Mr P."

"Hi Dad, in Sydney, need money."
"Hi JAM. Check your account tomorrow."

Texting works fine for that. But, for detailed site reports, email is a better option.

If you have a guy on site with a need for immediate technical assistance then the phone is the weapon of choice.

For invoicing, hard copy by snail mail is the way to go.

No one size fits all.

 

[jumper]

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Quote:
Originally Posted by electricmanscott
Any of you guys using those newfangled computer thingys?

Sure I do.

Sure I do.

But i don"t text.

try this again

 

[jaylectricity]

I certainly wasn't suggesting that texting was the way to go for everything. Just for some things.

If it hasn't been answered yet: T9 is where your cell phone guesses what word you are trying to type by matching the digit combination to a list of words that could be spelled using the following:

1=punctuation
2=ABC
3=DEF
4=GHI
5=JKL
6=MNO
7=PQRS
8=TUV
9=WXYV
0=next
#=Space
*=Shift

If you type 2665 your phone might think you're trying to say "cool" but really you're trying to say "book". So you hit the "next" key after typing 2665 and it changes the word to book. Hit it again and it will change to cook.

If you're a terrible speller, T9 will be awfully tough for you. But some people have told me that T9 has helped them learn to spell.

So there's that...which is nice.

 

[iaov]

I agree with Ken. I prefer to talk to people. Doesn't take anymore time than fumbling with the little keyboard on my phone.

 

[jaylectricity]

Also, if text messaging presents too many new questions from the conversation all you have to do is text, "Call me if you can."

The convenience on almost everything is worth that hassle once in a while.

 

[luckyshadow]

I use text on my personnel cell. I resisted for a long time but my 2 kids,wife, and some friends, drug me kicking and screaming, into the modern era (as far as texting).
I have inlimited texting on my cell plan as the cost per text would kill me! I have 3 phones on my plan and last month I think there was a combined total of 2500 outgoing texts and around that many incoming texts. Yes I'm over the age of 40 too.

I am an inspector and I have a county provided cell (nextel). I do not text with that. I have never recieved a text on it either. I do not give out the direct connect number. I will give you my card with my number on it if you ask.The county provides the business cards.
If a contractor wants to call me and does not have the number they call the office and the office gives them my number.
I do not always answer the phone,thats what voice mail is for.

This is done this way as we do not have a set time to be in the office. As long as we make an appearence now and again all is good. We all have laptops,aircards,and power inverters in the car.We log into a secure server using the aircard or "hotspot" at a library or firehouse.We get our work off the laptop. We also enter the inspections results into the laptop. And everyone uses E-Mail.

 

[Rewire]

I like the pictures that can be sent it helps when someone wants an answer on an install the can send a pic instead of trying to explain what it looks like.

 

[ishium 80439]

One time in particular I remember a picture phone coming in really handy. We were installing some conduit and data boxes for an LV company. The office manager threw a fit because of where they came up (working from a crawl space). This guy was basically a jerk looking for an arguement. W/ the pics on the phone I was able to show him the ducts, pipes and steel that were essentially blocking all access to the wall we needed to come up in. We basically only had one bay that was clear. When I showed him the pics in took all of the wind out of his bluster and he wound up looking foolish in front of his co-workers.

 

[Rewire]

One time in particular I remember a picture phone coming in really handy. We were installing some conduit and data boxes for an LV company. The office manager threw a fit because of where they came up (working from a crawl space). This guy was basically a jerk looking for an arguement. W/ the pics on the phone I was able to show him the ducts, pipes and steel that were essentially blocking all access to the wall we needed to come up in. We basically only had one bay that was clear. When I showed him the pics in took all of the wind out of his bluster and he wound up looking foolish in front of his co-workers.

pictures are worth a thousand words

 

[brennan]

No the company I work for will not pay for it. I was talking with the main boss and he said it was a waste if someone wanted to talk to him they need to call him. Although a few months back on the cell phone bill he had a few texts on his line. Does anyone have the walike talkie or PTT ability on there phones?

 

[GrayHeadedMule]

Since texting has been in place..........don't even know how long but I have sent a grand whopping total of 2 text messages.

I can see where it would be handy IF the others in the department would all decide to use it accordingly. One of my inspectors does a good job just to turn on the computer in the AM!

On another note....every contractor within our jurisdiction that is pretty much a "regular" contractor (meaning does a lot of work in our jurisdiction) has my cell phone # (I'm the building official) and all inspectors phone #'s.

I feel it is better to have a straight line of communication to ensure both the contractor and inspector are all on the same page.

As far as interupting a meeting....it's called silencing your phone. Put it on vibrate. Besides......it feels pretty good in your pocket on vibrate!:roll: