4 things to remember when closing for the holidays

The holidays are fast approaching and that means your place of business may be closed for some or all that time. If you’re closing, or your changing your hours for the holidays, it’s important to make sure everyone know about it. Good communication will ensure that your staff, vendors and customers can plan around your closures. That’s good for them, and it will also take some stress off you too knowing everyone is happy and relaxed for the holidays.

Here are some things you shouldn’t forget when closing for the holidays:

Notify your clients, staff and vendors of your closure.

Your staff are likely aware of when you’ll be closed (and happy to get the time off!), but have you notified your customers and vendors? Put a notice up on your website and social media pages notifying people of your new holiday hours and closures. You can also notify services you employ, like security or delivery services, via email and phone to make sure they get the information.

Update all automated phone prompts and messages on hold.

If you haven’t done so already, update your automated attendant greetings, including voice prompts and messages on hold, to alert people of your upcoming holiday hours. Include the dates that you will be closed and the date you will be reopened. If you’re condensing hours, make sure you include that information in your automated phone prompts too.

You should also provide instructions on how the caller can find information they need while you’re closed. For example, if you have someone on call during the holidays, include their contact information. Alternatively, you can provide an email address that will be monitored throughout the holiday season. If no one is available to respond to inquiries until you’re open again, you need to make that very clear in your messaging, so no one is waiting for a reply.

Update voicemail greetings.

Update your general voice mail to indicate the closure, new hours and when you’ll be open again. If your employees receive external calls at their desks or department, make sure they update their voicemail greeting to alert callers of the holiday closures. Advise them to let callers know when they’ll be back in the office, or when they might expect a call-back.

Make sure your answering service is aware of when you’re closed.

If you use a call answering service, notify them of your holiday closure or changed holiday hours. You should provide them with a contact list of any staff members who might be on call during the break. Most call answering services will ask for instructions on who to call depending on different situations. For example, if you’re an HVAC company, they should know which technician to call if a customer calls with a broken furnace. You don’t want them calling a manager when a technician needs to be dispatched.

Happy Holidays! From all of us at On Air.