Do You Worry When A Man Calls To Schedule An Appt?

[Jenneversage64]

I don't usually, but prefer a woman call. When a man calls here at 10:30 PM I think it is inappropriate, and even inconsiderate. We weren't asleep yet. But then for another call at 11:08 and then more soon after, totally 7 SEVEN call hang ups, My ringer is on low, but that is weird. The ringer is low now. I just got a creepy feeling about the young man. Said he was a construction worker....like so what? I'm spose' to say oooh big muscles? Do they think we legit mobile groomers are available for anything other than dog grooming? I don't advertise on Craigs' list. Maybe I watch too many of those Chris Hansen shows with teen predators, but it's getting scary out there. How can you check a person out or be safe if an innocent husband calls to schedule the family dog to be groomed, from some creep wanting something very different? Would it be offensive and wrong to ask to speak to the wife? If he keeps this up, tomorrow he'll get a male voice calling and telling him to stop calling here! I've had potential clients give me He** for calling at 8:30PM. BTW, he never said anything wrong, just that he wanted me to come tomorrow. When I said I could not, that would be the time to discuss a future appt and price etc. He just said call me tomorrow, then said he'd call me. He hasn't stoped since 10:30PM and continues into after midnight. How can male calls be handled diplomatically?

[workingchihuahua]

The next time he calls, put your husband aka The Appointment Scheduler on the phone. Let your husband set up the appointment. If this guy creeps you out, trust your gut and don't do his dog.

[winterroo]

Okay, that IS creepy. I would answer the phone and tell the [email protected]@rd not to call me again or I will call the police. The call at 10:30 is bad enough, but to continue to call and hang up? I wouldn't even want this person as a client, and I wouldn't even care what he said about me...

[Canopener Sally]

The guy sounds like a psycho! He keeps calling you after midnight? This isn't a normal man calling and it's just not the same thing. How you handle him should be quite different than how you handle a your average family man. That is quite scary.

[LJRSnowcat]

When I first read your intro I thought....what? However, this wacko needs to be told to find some one else. What could you possibly have to say calling at all hours of the night? This is ridiculous. If you haven't already set something up, don't even call him back, if you have....I wouldn't even show, he's not worth it.

[Doubledogdare]

Get the phone number and name of the jerk calling you and then phone the cops. Tell them what the guy is doing, that it is scaring you, you consider it harrassment and are reporting it.

By law even telemarketers and bill collection agencies aren't allowed to call you after 9 PM, and no legit client would call you in the middle of the night, so what is going on in your case is frank phone harrassment. Some guy getting his kicks knowing he is probably freaking you out.

And, no, as a matter of fact, you are NOT interested in grooming his .... "pooch".

[Debbiedogs]

Do you have caller ID?

If you have caller ID and you know it's the same guy, he is definitely not exhibiting appropriate behavior and I would not be giving him an appointment. Period.

[mylady]

I have gotten nervous when a man called me. It wasn't the same as this one, with multiple calls. He just sounded creepy on the phone. So I arranged to go on a Sunday, had my sister watch the kids and brought my husband along. thankfully it turned out the guy is a really nice guy, but I'm uncomfortable around strange men to begin with, but he has a wife and adult daughter and that's who I usually deal with now. In fact at one appointment he came down in his underwear not realizing I was in the house and he was SO embarassed. Not like the one guy that just kept talking to me as if he was fully clothed!
I've been getting a ton of phone calls from one number and no one ever answers, I just hear background noise. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt that they were "pocket dialing" me as hubby puts it and called them and left a message just telling them that I'd recieved many calls from this number at all hours and that I assumed it must be accidental. Haven't heard from that number since.
If it were me, I'd have my husband call the guy or answer the phone the next time he calls and maybe be booked pretty far out. You do not have to groom for anyone you are uncomfortable with. Trust your instincts. I know mine can be a bit off because I already have a fear of strange men, no matter how nice they sound, I am uncomfortable dealing with them. So when in doubt I make sure someone can go with me.

[Raffyroo]

That is very creepy. I would do as others have suggested and possibly file a harassment report. There is absolutely no reason that he should be calling you that late at night and that many times in a row.

[Smart-n-Pretty]

OK, this is pretty funny, but, then again it really isn't. I got a call once from off Craigslist. The gentleman had an accent and was quite pushy about nailing me down to a time to come groom "Lucy". When asked what type look he wanted I was told I would have to check with his wife about that but was told several times she could not come to the phone and he started being pushy about the time again. He wanted me there at 8 am the next day and I was broke so I said yes, but, told my grown son I wanted him to go with me. We rolled into their house the next AM and I was SO relieved! Mr. C was from Scotland and had quite the burr. MRS. C was from THAILAND and the little English she DID know was spoken with his burr because he had taught her. LOL! All night the night before I lay there sweating about the axe murderer I was probably going to visit. Turns out he was just rude and her English wasn't very strong (albeit admittedly stronger than my Thai).

I have learned to tell dad's when they call I will be bringing my grown son with me "because I am training him to help me". I have only had a couple of guys cancel and all the rest said something to the effect that if their wife were a groomer they would want her to bring a male relative along, too. That is really a relief.

[Jenneversage64]

Needless to say.....

He lost out on having me ever groom his dog....if he really even has one. He stopped calling about 12:30AM but it kept me awake. I almost got up and called him on my home private # just to get even. No calls as yet today. My bus phone does not accept unknown calls. You have to press 1 and then it shows your # but no name. I called myself to see if it was cutting anyone off. It isn't. I guess I just attract creeps. I have called the cops but didn't want to stay up maybe 3 hours for someone to come make a useless report.

[kats_melody]

Check out Voice Mail Elite service if it's available

We don't have this problem with late night callers. We pay a little extra to the phone company every month for a "Voice Mail Elite" option. Depending upon the time of day, the phone will ring through so we can answer it, or it will go to voice mail. It goes to voice mail during the day when we are out on appointments, routes calls through in the evening, at 9:00 p.m. all calls go to voice mail until 7:00 a.m. when they go through until we leave at 8:00 a.m.

On our days off, it always goes to voice mail. The voice mails go to our computer e-mail box as attachments, so we don't need to be near the phone to answer them. Did I mention that the phone number of the caller is ALSO attached to the e-mail message, along with all of the caller ID?

$7.50 extra is cheap for peace of mind.

[Hello Kitty FTW]

Personally, if someone kept calling really late like that routinely, I would just wait and call back at like 4 AM, since it must've been SO important to have called that late that you needed to be heard from RIGHT AWAY.

[grooming goddess]

Although I would never answer the phone that late unless it was my child, maybe he was sitting on his cell phone or something and it kept accidently dialing you. Do you have someone who can do a ride along? If he really makes you apprehensive, just cancel him and don't offer to reschedule.

[Smart-n-Pretty]

LMBO! I brought my son to a single guy's house tonight and he introed himself as "the beautiful & talented assistant." I about cracked up.