Christmas is literally just around the corner so by now you’re probably:
- Serenely planning your upcoming holiday.
- Frantically trying to decide how many presents to buy and for whom.
- Hysterically rushing to get a massive load of work done by a date that inexorably looms closer with each passing minute.
Either way, you’ve most likely planned to take some time off from your business. The working public recognise that you probably won’t be online during Christmas and New Year. That being said – you might not be around, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still uphold some basic customer service strategies.
Here’s 3 helpful and easy tips on how you can take a break and still take care of your clients:
- Set a sunny ‘Out of Office’Auto Reply.
In addition to making sure your clients know your holiday hours in advance, it’s also a nice idea to set a sunny ‘out of office’ holiday auto reply. Be friendly and festive, and make sure you let your clients know your vacation dates and any alternative contact details if you have them. It’s so much nicer for your clients to receive some response to your emails, even if it’s an auto-responder, rather than leave an email unanswered and hanging in the ether for weeks while you’re offline and away from your desk.
- Keep Giving Value through Social Media
There are some wonderful scheduling programs out there that will allow you to schedule content like article links, pictures, text posts and videos well into the future. Use them to your advantage. Take a little time to research or create some content relevant to your business that your clients might find interesting. Most of us still read and post to our social media accounts regularly, even when we’re on holidays. Schedule some content to post over the holiday break and give your clients some reading material during this time. That way you’re simultaneously giving your clients value, and staying on their radar whilst sipping cocktails by the pool (or standing knee deep in wrapping paper at 4:30am Christmas day – either way!)
- Show gratitude
Christmas is the time for giving and showing your family and friends how much they mean to you. Usually this means plentiful gifts, Christmas dinners and greeting card fiestas. It’s important to remember to also give a little love to your clients too, and show your gratitude to those who contribute to your bread and butter. You don’t have to go a buy expensive presents (although if you want to – go for it!) You can show your appreciation with a thoughtful word or gesture. A handwritten card or charitable donation in their name are great gift ideas that don’t break the bank but still say thank you for the past year and set you off into the New Year on a good footing.
So give it a little thought and take the time to take care of your clients before closing time these holidays. It feels good, and you’ll return from your holiday with happy, well-informed clients, ready to take on the New Year!
