Would you expect an immediate response out of business hours?

[Daytimetellysucks]

DH and I run a small business

We have a Facebook page which we get quite a lot of enquiries through and DH and I both have the app on our phones. We also have the email apps on our phones

I leave work at 5:30pm and that’s generally it until 8:30am the following day.

DH will sit and reply to FB messages and emails in the evenings and weekends.

Personally, I don’t think that people actually expect a response straight away when sending messages/email out of working hours, it’s more that they message when they think of it/have a quiet 5 minutes - I know I do.

DH is adamant that he must reply straight away but then moans continually he’s working at 9pm/weekends/whatever and can never get away from work

If you messaged a company at 9pm on a Sunday night would you expect a reply straight away or would you be happy to wait until the next working day?

Thanks!

I would expect a reply at some point on Monday morning hopefully but wouldn't be too put out if it was Tuesday

No, I would message in the evening because that's when I tend to be sitting at my computer and have some child-free time but wouldn't expect a reply until business hours.

I’d be happy to wait but equally I’d be very impressed if it were answered in the evening.

No not at all I'm shocked when the PTA respond on a weekend

I would not expect a response until Monday morning.

I wouldn't expect anything to be dealt with outside working hours if you are not offering a service for children or people with extra needs.

Can you set up an auto holding message? I've received these on fb before but don't know if you have to pay for them.

I wouldn't expect a response then either. In fact I don't like it, as I feel like I've forced them to reply at unsociable hours, when really I've just messaged then because it's convenient for me. If I left it until business hours I might forget or not be at my phone.

Your DH is being a martyr.

No I wouldn’t expect a reply straight away even on Facebook. Perhaps put a note on your page messages will be answered within 24/48 hours or even office hours ? , tell him you need a healthy work life balance.

Thanks!

Yes, there’s an auto-reply on FB messages. It says something like - thanks for your enquiry, our office hours are xxx, we’ll reply ASAP.

It got quite annoyed with him yesterday - he complains that work is taking over our lives and he can never get away from it, but then he’s not really helping himself

Dh and I have a small business and I could have written this! I don't see the need and would only reply during business hours but dh replies as they come in and is straight at it working through orders when he comes into work at 8.30.

Tbf his reputation is amazing, yeah he's fab at what we do but it's the fact he's so responsive and nothing is too much bother, everyone loves him whilst witch face over here is usually in the back skiving with chocolate and coffee

Stick a note on your Facebook page that business hours are 8.30-5.30 Monday to Friday. No one expects an immediate response on a Sunday night unless your business is something very specific that would warrant it e.g. an alarm company or support services for people with additional needs.

Absolutely not. If I send a message late in the day, it's just because I want to get the ball rolling. I would expect a reply within the next 1-2 working days.

If I message on a Sunday evening I'd be happy with a response any time on Monday (up until the end of your working hours).

I would message out of working hours because that's when I have a moment to myself and remember to do things. However, I would not expect a reply until working hours resume.

Thanks

Our opening hours are listed on our FB pages, then again in the auto-reply message.

He’s just adamant that messages must be replied to straight away.

Our business isn’t anything life or death.

I know if I send a message/email late at night it’s because I want to send it while I remember/have a spare 5 minutes

I feel bad too if people reply late at night/weekends.

A little while ago I replied to an email from one of my DD’s teachers one weekend, I felt terrible when they replied 10 minutes later. I’d only sent it as it was quite complicated and took a while to compose so wanted to do it when I knew I had time and wouldn’t be disturbed. Didn’t expect a reply until the next working day at the earliest.

In fact, I'd feel a bit guilty if someone had replied to me on a Sunday evening for example as I'd expect that person to be resting!

Cross post

I would generally send messages / e-mails at a time that suits me, feeling quite comfortable that I wouldn't be disturbing the business owner who I would expect to pick them up on the Monday morning. that is the beauty of having moved on from having to phone a business - you can "speak" to them when it is convenient to you, and they can reply to you during business hours, even if you aren't then able to pick that response up until you finish work that evening.

How does he come across when he replies do you think? I once messaged my local quilt shop (small business) at about my bedtime, and she replied straight away. I was a bit shocked at how late she was working and said so, she was very nice about it but even so I have tried to do daytime messages only to them.

However, years and years ago I went to the health food shop around the corner from where I lived. I got there just as he was shutting up for lunch. So I said it was no problem, I'd come back on the way back from my own lunch but he insisted that I come in. So I went to pick up the things I needed from the shelves and he waited at the till, and then he sighed. And I paid for my things and never, ever went into the shop again. I was pissed off and ashamed that he thought I was a demanding cheeky fucker. So if I was messaging back and forth with a small business who seemed even slightly aggrieved that they were working outside of office hours I would probably respond in the same way and just go somewhere else

I wouldn't necessarily expect a reply outside of business hours but it is increasingly common to get replies in the evenings or weekends. It does give a very good impression and I am more likely to use a business that is responsive rather than rigidly sticking to 9-5 Mon-Fri. It's the 21st century way I'm afraid.

I absolutely definitely would not expect a response from a small business outside of normal working hours. Infact, I try to avoid making enquiries even if by text or email outside of office hours precisely so that small business owners don't feel pressured into getting back to me. The modern way is an absolute pita and leads to people feeling entitled and catastrophising when things don't happen instantly.

He’s always really nice in replies. Not huffy or anything

He replies to the messages as they come in, I did suggest maybe sitting down for half an hour once every evening and replying to them all in one go, rather than dribs and drabs, it might not feel so much like he’s doing it all day if you see what I mean

He agreed, but then just carried on as normal 🤦‍♀️

I give up

We are extremely busy at work and it is taking over at home, I think there has to be some lines drawn with it.

If you already have auto replies and your opening hours stated your dh is the problem. He needs to manage his work life balance better. Most people as stated on the thread would be happy to wait and are only messaging out of hours as convenient for them.

I wouldn't expect a response, but it it's a choice of two businesses then, all other things being equal, I'd go with the quickest to respond.