Late night phone calls

[wessexyeoman]

Have you ever returned from an event, tired, exhausted, put dobbin to bed and got inside out of the rain and then thought...'I know, I left before my score was announced...I'll ring them up and ask'....?

If so, how late do you think it is reasonable to do so, and after days, weeks even months of preparation and organisation, and slogging it out all day keeping competitors and volunteers as happy as possible, how late do you think the secretary should keep the phone on to take your call?

 

[ihatework]

TBH I probably wouldn't call that night, and if I did certainly no later than about 8pm. I would call or email the following day.

 

[CSYMolly]

Yeah I think I'd call the next day too as I am sure they would be tired and fed up by the evening. I have called late once or twice for dressage times though, luckily they didn't seem to mind but I felt awful.

 

[Weezy]

God there is no WAY I would call anytime after 7-30pm (I have a thing about calling ANYONE after 7-30!) In truth I would prob call the next day anyway

 

[TGM]

I wouldn't ring them that night at all but would wait til the following day - but then I have done my stint as a competition organiser and know how horrible it is when people ring at unsocial hours

. I think the worst offender rang at 5am if I remember rightly

!

 

[vic07]

i wouldn't call at all. If i couldn't be bothered to wait then it is my own fault!

Eventing results are on web anyway
Dressage - get sheet posted.

Watched my mum as an event organiser, there is certainly very little thanks in it!

 

[dingle12]

agree with vic07

 

[SirenaXVI]

[ QUOTE ]
how late do you think the secretary should keep the phone on to take your call?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think she should keep her phone on at all - up to you to arrange for your sheet to be collected or see your marks, she has probably been going all day and is equally as exhausted as you are!

I would call the next day

 

[susan_w]

I agree - at weekends, I generally have the farm phone diverted to my mobile, so have it on me all the time. People are so inconsiderate - I had someone ring the other night at 9.30pm to ask about riding lessons.

Also on show days, have had the phone ring at 6am, to ask what the schedule is.

I'd never dream of doing that........

 

[Frazer]

I agree, you shouldn't have to keep recieving phonecalls because other people couldn't/wouldn't wait for their scores to be announced. I would phone a friend who would know, and only use the secretary as a last resort

 

[Grit]

All of you lovely people are invited to any event I'm involved with.
Only to help competitors with no event organising experience (and not for sympathy). At the last event, I was working flat out with the administration for the three days before the event.
On the day, I was Chief Scorer and I was at the showground at 7:30am and was still there at 7:40pm (an hour after the last competitor had gone home). I handed over the scores to the website organiser and went home.
I'll let you decide whether you should phone me or not!

 

[wessexyeoman]

I'm so pleased with these responses...I thought it was just me being unreasonable telling someone to ring back the following morning if they wanted their results - I say the following morning - I mean later that morning because the call was at 1am, but the 5am caller mentioned in an earlier post really takes the biscuit.

My recommendation is that H&H publish a list of basic manners to be upheld by all competitors - and I don't mean to say that all competitors don't have any manners - quite the opposite, most are fantastic, saying thanks even when things have gone wrong, offering to help at shows etc - they are brilliant - but quite a few can make it feel such a chore, and if they could be made to understand some really basic rules of conduct, it would make life so much more bearable.

I will start with some suggestions - please feel free to add more!!

Rule 1. No calls outside office hours 9-5 except on the day of the show when calls will be taken during the show itself - whatever those times are. Calls should be limited to admin for the event - ie when does a class start, I'm lost - how do I get to you etc.

Rule 2. Calls for results should be in office hours the next day.

Rule 3. Dogs - competitors should assume that venues will accept dogs, but that dogs should be well behaved and on short leads at all times.

Rule 4. ......

 

[Rambo]

Hmmm....well rule 3 doesn't necessarily hold true. I know of at least one venue around our way that won't allow dogs

Also, I appreciate that not all venues have websites, but where they do, it would be handy for results to be published promptly. This may alleviate some of the out of hours phone calls too (I don't condone late night calls btw).

Other than that, keep up the good work....some of us at least appreciate what you guys do

 

[wessexyeoman]

I hear what you say - but riders shouldn't expect the secretary rto spend too much time after an event on her computer - and of course for many unaffiliated events, the next day there isn't any secretary - she is back at work farming etc.

I agree with your comment on dogs - my preference is no dogs - I operate in shoot country with a trigger happy keeper lurking in the bushes - but have compromised to allow dogs because part of the fun of the sport is being able to go on someone elses' ground for a good stiff walk and what better companion than a dog.

What really irritates me is the dog walker who thinks she's out of sight and lets the dog off - then complains to me later that some little bastard covered in camouflage with a rifle bollocked her for letting her dog off!!

I just think there should be a general rule that all understand - and perhaps that rule should be...no dogs unless stated otherwise...and the assumption then is that all dogs are to be on leads...how's that.

 

[vic07]

well I couldn't compete if no dogs could come to an event as my parents would never leave the dogs at home all day. My dogs are very well behaved gundogs and remain on leads.

 

[wessexyeoman]

thanks vic - I understand that entirely and that's why we have dogs on leads at our events. And it's not gun dogs that give me problems...it's house dogs who think they've gone to doggy heaven in the cover crops!!

Actually, I really do understand just the point you make - if you have dogs, and so many who live work or compete in the countryside do, them walking a course is one of the best times to give them a leg stretch. Just as long as they are on a lead!!

 

[susan_w]

And that you clean up your poo. Someone let their dog poop right in the entrance to the school the other day. Now it's one thing stepping in horse poo, but quite another stepping in dog poo. Clear up after you.

 

[Fiona]

I know that having our new website this year has meant that the secretary gets far less calls enquiring about results. The results are normally online within an hour of the competition finishing. Even at the start of this year (before we got our mobile SIM card for the laptop) we would wait until the scoring had been finished then take the laptop home and upload results immediately.
Dressage sheets are kept for competitors to collect at the following event, anthough they can get the mark for each movement on the website.
Personally I would be very annoyed if anyone rang me at 1am (I always assume the worst when the phone rings at that time of night).
Fiona
Fiona

 

[Baggybreeches]

I agree totally with vic07. If you can't be bothered to wait for the results then why interfere with organisers time. TBH I only wait if I am likely to be placed, if not then I get the results of the internet.