How often do you have to be in the office?

[rthonpm]

I was just curious how many of you out there need to spend any part of the day in the office or if your time is all in the field. I'm used to spending all of my time in the field and only needing to show up in the office for a quarterly meeting or something like that. Now with where I'm at now, everything is centred around the office. Your parts go there, you turn in paperwork (hardcopy) there, etc. I live 50 miles away from the office so it gets a little old having to lose an hour one way just to pick up parts or sit in on a meeting that maybe once or twice a year will deal with something beyond sales not getting their paperwork right.
Even during downtime, we're supposed to come to the office. That's all well and good, but again for those of us who deal with an 'out there' territory it's a waste of gas and time that could just as productively be spent in a Wi-Fi spot downloading bulletins as it could going all the way to the office downloading the same stuff.
There's my rant: how does it work for everyone else?

[cobiray]

I'm into the office for parts pick up once a day and we have a department meeting once a week. I could do with out the meeting...

[totoro]

I only go into the office if I can't get out of it. The office is 3-3.5 hrs away from home so I've been there once in 13 months. The boss comes over every 8-12 weeks just to see if everythings good, otherewise it's phone and e-mail contact.

[Baphomet]

We have a meeting every other week (like today we had one). Most of us carry all the parts we need, but to replenish our custody or pick-up that special part is the only reason any of us techs show up to the office. We use tablet PC's to capture customers' signatures on electronic work orders, and everything is done online. Our tablet PC's are connected with Aircards. I have always found it ironic that we are a copier company ... yet we are paperless.

[Ichiro]

I swing throughh the office every few days to grab some parts and drop off some paperwork.

[Mr Spock]

I visit the office because it is the middle of my territory and an hour from the house. I visit usually once every couple of days unless I havvve need for an overnight part. Try to spend less then 1 hour per visit and 1 meeting a month.

[blackcat4866]

At #1 every day started at the office & finished at the office, but it was close (23 miles).

At #2 I went into the office only to answer emails every Thursday 8:00 to 10:00. They don't even have a local office any more.

At #3 there wasn't any particular trend. I had to get into the office once each day to turn in paperwork and pick up parts.

Now, at #4 I would love to be in the field all the time, but unfortunately the administrative end takes up 25% of my time, and has to be done in the office. =^..^=

[fixthecopier]

My company has one tech that is hours away and does'nt have to come in. The rest of us have to work from the shop. The place opens at 8:30 and we come in about 8:15 til 8:45 while the morning schedule is being done. Every tech has a work bench and rack of shelves, for when you have to bring stuff in to work on it. My area is 15 to 20 minutes from shop and I usually go back once a day around lunch to get parts if I am not real busy. I get back around 4:00 to 4:20 to turn in tickets and look up part numbers. Shop closes at 5. The place is real flexable about being late or leaving early to take care of business. We are one of the few places that will take in anything you can bring in and try to fix it. We always have lots of small cheap stuff waiting to be fixed that I try to avoid.
In two weeks, we will clear out half of our wharehouse and throw our yearly kick ass Halloween costume party. With a live band, plenty of food and drink and about 2 or 3 hundred guest, it is the hottest ticket in town.

[nmfaxman]

Self employed.
More field than office.
I do office in the morning and weekends.
The Grass Is Always Greener In The Other Yard.

[mrgoodcopy]

With my situation working in a small family owned business my time is 60% office and 40% field and 15% home. I also do the IT work customer support and sales as well as service. At the end of most days my butt is dragging!!!!