Is it the world or just me?

I resisted going with a smartphone and texting for a long time. But then I found that most of my customers actually preferred to text. Mostly because a lot of plans don't charge for texts. I prefer a face-to-face conversation, but here's why it works for me:

I have no internet at the shop. When I call out for a part and there's some question as to what's listed in the catalog I can pull out my phone, do my own research, and call back my part's girl with the part number I need. Or, sometimes, I need something that's available that's not listed in her catalog. Again, out comes the smartphone, I find the part number, she looks up the part by the number I just gave her and bingo! she can have for me out of the warehouse the next day.

I can keep a record of a quote on a job through text. It's a little easier, this way, as sometimes if a job comes in more than what my customer can afford and they have to put it off for a week or so to budget for it, then I have a time stamped record of what I just quoted 'em on my phone as well as the paper estimate I hand 'em as they pick up the car.

Or, if they approve the job, but then say I misquoted them on the phone what the price would be, I have no record of the conversation - in this case the customer is always right. If I text 'em, then I have a record, with a time stamp that says they got the message with the price I quoted 'em. It takes away the notion that they are now trying to undercut me by saying that's not what I told 'em the job would cost. I also have a text back to me saying the job is approved at the price I just texted to them. (I will put a caveat on this: my customers are good to me. I've had this happen once! But once is a enough. The customer who did this to me once is no longer a customer as I told him to pay his bill and find another shop to work on his car.)

I will say, though, that if I receive a text or a phone call while in the middle of a face-to-face conversation, I will defer to the face-to-face and reply to the text when it's convenient or let the phone call go to voice mail (or missed call).

If I'm standing in line at a check out register at a store, I will do the same thing. I'm sorry, it's just freakin' rude to stand there and conduct business, making purchases at a register and yak on your phone. Engage the cashier. You're doing business at that point.

If I'm waiting in line, say at the bank, and I get a phone call that's business, I'll excuse myself from the line and go outside. The people around me don't need to know business and it's rude to stand there and talk to someone who's not even there if I'm unwilling to engage the people standing there with me. When I go back in, I go back to the end of the line. It's that simple to be polite. Manners don't cost a thing.