Top Tips for Managing Your Business’s Holiday Season
While the holiday period means peak trading for some, many businesses are planning a well-deserved break.
Whether you’re open for business or shutting up shop for a few days or weeks, a little forward planning will ensure you and your team get some R&R this festive season.
If you are planning to shut down, it’s important that you let your customers and suppliers know the exact dates. Doing so will help avoid customer confusion and missed business opportunities and may lead to early orders or bookings.
To get your business ‘holiday ready’, follow these quick tips to stay connected with your customers over the holiday period:
Start Communicating Early
Add an Auto Attendant or Call Queue NOW so that any calls received during the Christmas lead-up will be advised of your planned holiday shutdown dates well in advance. This is also a great way to encourage customers to get their orders in early to avoid disappointment.
Set Digital Notices
Set up automated reminders and digital notices, such as Out of Office email reminders, social media posts and your website contact details. Don’t forget to update your Google My Business listing to notify customers and suppliers of your operating hours over the holiday period.
Set up a Christmas Trading Schedule
Consider creating a holiday trading schedule if you’re operating a CDR Phone. During this period, your Commander phone system will automatically direct calls to an after-hours message advising callers of your holiday trading times and allowing them to leave a message. Alternatively, you can redirect calls to another number or business location (that is open over the holidays) to ensure you don’t miss any calls.
Consider Group Voicemail
Over the shutdown period, consider diverting calls to a group voicemail message that outlines your holiday trading hours and allows multiple staff to listen and respond to messages. If the caller needs to speak to someone urgently, they can press 0, and the call will be redirected to a working staff member.
Set an After-Hours Auto Attendant
If you don’t already have one, set an Auto Attendant on your phone system (or add a selection to an existing message), directing callers to make selections based on your after-hours care plan.
Work From Anywhere
If you have skeleton staff working over the holidays, set up a time-based work schedule so calls can be directed to specific team members at set times. By taking advantage of the Commander desktop / mobile app, they can answer calls from the office, home, or even the beach!
Backup your servers and shut down equipment
If the office is going to be empty for a few weeks, business owners should also revisit their data and hardware safety setup. Speak to your local Commander Centre or IT team about running a backup of your servers and safely switching power-hungry equipment to standby well before the Christmas break.
When it comes to IT problems over the holiday period, be sure your staff knows whom to contact if the website or phone system goes down, especially if you won’t be available.
To speak with Commander about your holiday telecommunications set-up, you can contact our team on 13 70 90.