hired over the phone?

mrslifeofreilly · 01-14-2010, 02:36 PM

Have you ever been hired over the phone?

I had a voicemail earlier from a mom seeking a doula. We chatted a bit when I returned her call and she decided to hire me! I offered an in-person meeting but she said she was happy/fine with just speaking to me on the phone.

This is a first for me - I have always done in-person meet and greets.

emmy_24 · 01-14-2010, 02:46 PM

I almost always get hired over the phone because I am the only doula in my area! When people call me they have usually made up their mind they want a doula, and since I am the only option right now, they basically call and set up our first meeting. Some people are just more laid back about things. Perhaps she heard good things about you and was fine with a phone chat to confirm the positive comments she mave have heard already

doula Michele · 01-14-2010, 02:48 PM

Yes.. I have been hired over the phone. I have been hired at a trade show.
One time a woman talked to me at a trade show, and I did not hear from her for a few months, then she called and wanted to hire me on a monday....then she called on the thursday of that week and said she was in labour. I had only talked to her for about 10 minutes in total and had never met her husband. She had a very successful VBAC that day! Then hired me again 2 years later.

DoulaYvonne · 01-14-2010, 02:58 PM

I was hired over the phone a few years ago. The mother was referred to me by a friend of hers that I had doula'd for. We spoke for almost an hour over the phone, she asked me to email over my contract and a couple days later she left me a voicemail to say that, after speaking with her husband, she wanted to hire me. They sent me a check for the down payment a couple days later.

DL · 01-14-2010, 06:00 PM

I've had great interest in my services over the phone, and even if the potential client considers me hired in her mind, I never consider myself "hired" until mom signs the contract and I receive my deposit/retainer at the interview. I always schedule an interview if for no other reason than to take care of the businessy stuff before we concentrate on doing prenatals. That's what seals the deal for me.

Now... I HAVE been hired at the hospital while mom was in labor and I had just finished a birth with another client. Obviously there was no time for a formal interview then, but they had already stopped me and briefly asked me a few things. I guess that and her seeing me walking the halls with my other client was interview enough.

raeben · 01-14-2010, 07:14 PM

i was recently hired over the phone by a woman in china! she will move back here in feb and is due in march so she wanted to have all of that figured out before she got here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula Lori

Now... I HAVE been hired at the hospital while mom was in labor and I had just finished a birth with another client. Obviously there was no time for a formal interview then, but they had already stopped me and briefly asked me a few things. I guess that and her seeing me walking the halls with my other client was interview enough.

lori - how did you have enough energy to do one right after the other? i have talked to couples in the halls and was always worried that they would ask me for help after i was done with my family. unless it's a really short labor (and i haven't had a ton of those lately) i just don't think i'd have enough to give the next people.

rootsandwingsdoula · 01-14-2010, 07:16 PM

I was hired over the phone for postpartum work, but this particular client ended up being nutso. Actually, I think she had ppd that she absolutely refused to seek help for. So I shouldn't be so crass, but she was actually quite awful to me and left me feeling miserable. I learned a lesson about boundaries though!

doularina · 01-14-2010, 07:39 PM

I have had two people decide that they wanted to hire me before even talking to me. I guess sometime people just get a feeling. One person said she really liked my website and photo. My website needs lots of work and many people say that I look better in person than in my photo, so go figure.

DL · 01-14-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raeben

lori - how did you have enough energy to do one right after the other? i have talked to couples in the halls and was always worried that they would ask me for help after i was done with my family. unless it's a really short labor (and i haven't had a ton of those lately) i just don't think i'd have enough to give the next people.

I lucked out.

The first birth was a quick and smooth labor of 4 hours and I was still feeling pretty good afterwards. That next birth was 6 hours IIRC.....so yes, I REALLY lucked out because I don't get a lot of short ones either! Two births in less time than one usually takes! I probably wouldn't do that again unless I just really felt that it was 'right'. I'm not sure if it would ever happen again anyway. What are the odds? Besides...I'd probably end up with the second one being 30+ hours if there was a next time!

dorothyh · 01-14-2010, 10:08 PM

Congratulations!

I've been hired a few times over the phone - not often, but it happens sometimes.

My best interview was when I went to their home and as we're walking to the living room, my cell phone rings - it's my current client. I explain quickly to the prospective client that this is a current client and I need to take the call. I take the call and talk to my client, talking her through a contraction.

I hang up the phone. The prospective client looks at me and says, "You're hired. What you just did is exactly what I want for my birth."

Both of them had great births!

PBDS · 01-20-2010, 10:42 AM

I was just hired over the phone the other day. Mom was refered to me by a client who just had her baby, and had a beautiful drug free birth.
I have been hired over the phone and thru email a few times!! The email was after months of back and forth though( Mom was VBA2C and knew she wanted a doula, but had placenta previa and was waiting for it to move. Did not want to hire me until she knew it moved and she was clear for vbac)
I just had 2 clients that took a long time to decide if they wanted to hire me. Which was a first for me. One took a month, the other 3 weeks. I was totally ok with this, as I feel cients should interview other doulas, it was just completely new for me,lol!!