TIL a client's 'quick question' call can eat your whole morning

Last week a homeowner in Tucson called me at 7:15 AM about a 'quick question' on their duct sizing. An hour later I was explaining static pressure and showing them how the filter grate was choking the return. They weren't being rude, just genuinely curious, and I kept answering because it was interesting. But my 9 AM job got pushed to 11, and the whole schedule slid by 2 hours. Now I screen calls during drive time and save technical chats for after lunch. Has anyone else set a hard rule about when they pick up the phone?

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wendy8201mo ago

Shook my head reading this because 7:15 AM is brutal. That homeowner got a whole masterclass before most people even finish their coffee. I bet you were standing in their attic by 8 AM too, huh? One time a "quick question" turned into me crawling under a crawlspace for an hour, so I feel this on a real level. Now I let every call go to voicemail before 9 and only call back if they leave a message, saves me from getting sucked in before I even start my day.

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