If she planned it ahead of time, my assistant certainly did not tell me. She just grabbed my phone as I was on the way out of the office for a three-day get-away and thrust hers at me without giving me time to think. "If I need you, I know the number to call to reach you. If there is a family emergency of any sort, I will let you know," she said. Honestly, it's the best three days away I have had since I started in real estate!
I cannot take credit for that simple stroke of genius, because it was all my daughter's idea. My daughter is my assistant, and she is a licensed REALTOR®.
She did not explain to callers that I was out of town. She merely answered the phone, "Liz cannot answer the phone right now. This is her assistant. How may I help you?" It worked perfectly. For three glorious days, she was able to answer practically all calls without even contacting me. My husband and I were able to enjoy dinner and take in a couple of Branson shows (you've heard of Branson, MO, haven't you?) without interruption. At my daughter's insistence, I called her only twice a day--at my convenience--to check in and answer any questions she might have.
When I returned from the three-day recess, my daughter thrust my cell phone back at me with even more determination than when she had taken it away from me. "No WONDER you needed a break! I want my phone back," she joked, only half-heartedly. We still switch phones ocassionally--when I go to a closing and am expecting a hot button call, when I am showing property to particularly intensive clients, when I am in continuing ed classes, and sometimes even when I need a quiet lunch. Admittedly, the fact that she is licensed makes this a better plan than if she were not licensed, but even a non-licensed assistant can handle many of the questions that keep our phones ringing daily.
Please don't anyone tell my daughter, but I'm thinking that I need a three-day break...
©2010 Liz Lockhart liz@lockhartlegacy.com (if you reblog, you must link back and leave copyright tag intact) 
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