The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and we’re rummaging around the house for our hats, scarves, and gloves because there is no escaping it—the festive season is here. As we start stocking up on chocolates, hunting for gifts, and sipping mulled wine, it’s easy to get swept up in the holiday spirit as we count down the days to office parties and gatherings and a well-deserved break.
While this season is certainly a time to be merry, it’s also a time to keep our businesses running smoothly, ensuring that sales stay strong and our customers and clients remain satisfied.
We all know the frustration of not being able to reach a customer service representative or business contact when we need support. With some proactive planning and our top tips, we can help you avoid this frustration for your customers over the Christmas break.
How Can Evoke Telecom Help You Get Christmas Ready?
At Evoke Telecom, we can help you create a customised holiday message that shares your Christmas hours and keeps customers informed of any changes during this time. This small step can make a big difference in managing expectations, reassuring customers that they’ve reached the right business, and providing clear next steps—whether it’s details for out-of-hours support or a reminder that you’ll respond after Christmas. Here are a few ways you can use this message effectively:
- Default Voice Message: In the lead-up to Christmas, update your default telephone voice message with key information, like holiday hours and out-of-hours support. For some businesses, if certain processes change during this time, be sure to let callers know how to escalate support tickets if needed. Providing this information in advance helps set clear expectations and can even encourage customers to finalise purchases.
- On-Hold Messaging: Add your festive hours to your on-hold messaging. You can also include helpful self-service information or direct customers to your website’s FAQs for common Christmas changes questions.
- Christmas Voicemail: Employees can add a festive touch to their personal voicemail greetings, sharing key Christmas messages to keep customers and prospects in the loop.
And remember, this is a great opportunity to thank customers for their business, wish them a wonderful holiday season, and share New Year’s wishes!
Since you’ve already done the hard work by taking the time to plan your festive season opening hours, why not make the most of it with a mini-marketing campaign to complement your telephony messages?
Here are a few ideas we’re using that you could try too:
Update Your Website: Make holiday hours easy to find with a Christmas banner or pop-up on your homepage. Your contact page or FAQ section is also a great spot to highlight these hours for visitors seeking business information.
Email marketing: Send a short and snappy festive email to your contact list. This could be a small section in an upcoming newsletter or a standalone email focused solely on holiday hours.
Automated Replies: Don’t forget to set up an email auto-response that reminds anyone contacting you during this time of your festive hours and what to do, if they need help.
Email Signature: Include your Christmas hours in your email signature or link to a page where they’re posted. This is a subtle way to keep customers informed.
Social Media Posts: Have some fun, and get creative and festive with social media posts to announce your holiday hours. Consider pinning a holiday-hours post at the top of your profile or creating a “Holiday Hours” highlight on Instagram.
To find out how we can help you keep customers happy and your business running smoothly this holiday season, reach out to us by phone, email, or our contact form. We’d be delighted to help you get Christmas-ready!
