Do your homework!

Just had a phone call from someone running a virtual office service. Had I received their mailing last week? Well, possibly, says I, but if I did it would have gone into my junk mail pile and therefore been recycled. Silence...

Would I be interested in having my phone calls answered? No, says I, I work from home and am a sole trader, so I can manage all my own calls.

Well, what if you were really busy and you didn't want your callers to go to voicemail? It's not a problem, says I, for people in my profession. It's known as leaving a message and expecting me to call them back asap. Silence...

Could I interest you in our other virtual office services, such as meeting space? No, says I. Look, love, I'm a freelance bloody wordsmith - I work from home writing and editing and don't need meeting space or someone to handle my calls. On the rare occasions I need to see a client, there's a very good hotel with a posh bar and coffee lounge within 5 minutes walk of Wordsmith Towers and it's free.

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Sheesh - I wish other small businesses would do their homework before touting for clients. I was interrupted in the middle of an important batch of page proofing, I mean Federer's opening match on Centre Court...