Comments on: How to Do The Impossible: Create a Paperless Life, Never Check Voicemail Again, Never Return Another Phone Call… http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/ Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:16:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tim Ferriss http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/comment-page-1/#comment-63975 Tim Ferriss Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:40:52 +0000 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/#comment-63975 Hi Russell, I'm very sorry to hear this. Alas, companies with good services turn back quite quickly when they grow too quickly and sacrifice in both hiring and quality assurance. All the best, Tim Hi Russell,

I’m very sorry to hear this. Alas, companies with good services turn back quite quickly when they grow too quickly and sacrifice in both hiring and quality assurance.

All the best,

Tim

]]> By: Russell http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/comment-page-1/#comment-63948 Russell Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:34:39 +0000 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/#comment-63948 We used ringcentral based on a recommendation in these comments and canceled after 30 days due to HORRIBLE customer service. Even after we canceled before the trail period was up the credit card charges remained and we had to call back a few weeks later to make sure they canceled them. The Indians we got on the phone we excessively nice but couldn't solve basic problems or answer simple questions. We requested a number port, then had it canceled, then realized it hadn't actually been canceled when our current provider called us to ask why we were switching services. Seems like one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing there. We used ringcentral based on a recommendation in these comments and canceled after 30 days due to HORRIBLE customer service. Even after we canceled before the trail period was up the credit card charges remained and we had to call back a few weeks later to make sure they canceled them. The Indians we got on the phone we excessively nice but couldn’t solve basic problems or answer simple questions. We requested a number port, then had it canceled, then realized it hadn’t actually been canceled when our current provider called us to ask why we were switching services. Seems like one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing there.

]]> By: Jassen Bowman http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/comment-page-1/#comment-63004 Jassen Bowman Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:41:11 +0000 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/#comment-63004 I realize that this post is a couple years old, but it's one that I come back to a few times a year. I've successfully integrated several of the ideas on this list into my life and my business, including the difficult ones such as ditching the telephone entirely, as much as I would like to do so. For my primary line of work, I negotiate payment plans, reduced settlements, and penalty relief between the IRS and small businesses. You would think this requires a tremendous amount of telephone time, and for most of my colleagues, it does. It's a line of work that requires a fairly close relationship with clients for long periods of time, sometimes into multiple years. However, I've created systems that allow me to manage that relationship effectively, and do it on my terms. First, I only check voicemail at 10am and 2pm, and only return phone calls after the 2pm block. I do the majority of my communication with clients via fax and email, and have no qualms returning a voicemail via email. On the IRS side, there is almost nothing I can't do via fax or FedEx, and it is often preferred by the agency, since it creates a paper trail, and there is usually a form for it anyway. Since I carry a smaller client load than most of my cohorts, I am also able to complete the majority of my weekly actual tax work in only two days, Tuesday and Thursday. This allows me to devote most of the rest of the week to marketing and systems development, and only occasional emergency communication with clients or the IRS. This time devoted to marketing and systems development has lead to vast efficiency improvements in our business. I have been resisting using Earth Class Mail, but I am almost convinced to use them for my incoming IRS mail, since there is such a huge volume of it every day. I do use Google Voice as my primary phone number, but find their transcription service lacking, so cannot rely on it. I hardly ever carry my cell phone, and am actually thinking of just straight up getting rid of it and only having some sort of pre-paid thing to keep in the truck for emergencies. -Jassen I realize that this post is a couple years old, but it’s one that I come back to a few times a year. I’ve successfully integrated several of the ideas on this list into my life and my business, including the difficult ones such as ditching the telephone entirely, as much as I would like to do so.

For my primary line of work, I negotiate payment plans, reduced settlements, and penalty relief between the IRS and small businesses. You would think this requires a tremendous amount of telephone time, and for most of my colleagues, it does. It’s a line of work that requires a fairly close relationship with clients for long periods of time, sometimes into multiple years.

However, I’ve created systems that allow me to manage that relationship effectively, and do it on my terms. First, I only check voicemail at 10am and 2pm, and only return phone calls after the 2pm block. I do the majority of my communication with clients via fax and email, and have no qualms returning a voicemail via email.

On the IRS side, there is almost nothing I can’t do via fax or FedEx, and it is often preferred by the agency, since it creates a paper trail, and there is usually a form for it anyway.

Since I carry a smaller client load than most of my cohorts, I am also able to complete the majority of my weekly actual tax work in only two days, Tuesday and Thursday. This allows me to devote most of the rest of the week to marketing and systems development, and only occasional emergency communication with clients or the IRS. This time devoted to marketing and systems development has lead to vast efficiency improvements in our business.

I have been resisting using Earth Class Mail, but I am almost convinced to use them for my incoming IRS mail, since there is such a huge volume of it every day. I do use Google Voice as my primary phone number, but find their transcription service lacking, so cannot rely on it. I hardly ever carry my cell phone, and am actually thinking of just straight up getting rid of it and only having some sort of pre-paid thing to keep in the truck for emergencies.

-Jassen

]]> By: Chris Knight http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/comment-page-1/#comment-62689 Chris Knight Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:48:46 +0000 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/#comment-62689 HI Tim, Have you looked at NoMorePost.com? a paperless postal service based in London, UK. We started using it in our office back in October and our paper consumption has gone down by almost 50%. We started using to avoid the problems caused by the postal strikes we had here last year. Worth a look. Regards Chris HI Tim,

Have you looked at NoMorePost.com? a paperless postal service based in London, UK.

We started using it in our office back in October and our paper consumption has gone down by almost 50%. We started using to avoid the problems caused by the postal strikes we had here last year.

Worth a look.

Regards
Chris

]]> By: Clinton http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/comment-page-1/#comment-62660 Clinton Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:33:30 +0000 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/06/14/how-to-do-the-impossible-create-a-paperless-life-never-check-voicemail-again-never-return-another-phone-call/#comment-62660 Hi Tim, Read your book this past year and have followed the blog ever since. Wanted to see if you had any thoughts how the FHWW could simplify the life of a college and soon to be law student? Hi Tim,

Read your book this past year and have followed the blog ever since. Wanted to see if you had any thoughts how the FHWW could simplify the life of a college and soon to be law student?

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