The holiday season is a time for connecting with loved ones and being thankful for the blessings we have received.  It can also be (despite our best efforts) very stressful times, especially if you have a business to run. As much as we may wish it, the daily needs of business management don’t go away even for the holidays, but there are ways for business owners to better balance the expectations of home and family.

If you are in an industry where you are expected to be reachable 24/7, it is possible to use the same technology (cell phone, e-mail, internet) to be available and unavailable simultaneously. Automatic replies are a great way to let people know when they can expect a response. Something along the lines of: “Thank you for your email. From [date range] I will only be checking my emails from [time frame] to better ensure productivity during the holiday season. If you need immediate assistance please call [telephone number].”  These automated replies give the sender a confirmation that their message was received, when to expect a response, and an alternate point of contact if they need immediate attention. Now comes the important part — only check your emails during the time period you’ve decided on! If you don’t follow the guidelines that you have set for yourself, why would others respect it? Stay firm, and have confidence that in a true emergency, people will just call you directly.

The holidays are a challenging time to manage employees’ holiday expectations. Your staff members will likely want the same days off, which can increase strain on your ability to manage and run your business. Outsourcing during the holidays is a common way to ease the challenges of reduced staffing during this time of year. Appointment scheduling and reminders, overflow/after hours support, email management, or a customized plan can be easily implemented during the holidays and ended when your staff is back to full strength. You can have a call center set appointments and reminders to your specifications so your company continues to work around your schedule requirements. Allow you and your staff to take the time to recharge during the holidays, work will be waiting when you return.

You can’t do it all, so focus on what matters most! Even something as simple as having to answer your phone can take unexpected chunks of time out of your day. Before you know it, those couple tasks that you had to get done are still waiting to be completed. Hiring a telephone answering service, while you and your staff are on limited hours, can avoid phone calls taking you away from your most important tasks. The best answering services are able to train their agents to meet your exact requirements. This way, agents transfer calls that can’t wait directly to you, while less pertinent questions can be answered directly by the agent, appointments can be managed, or orders processed without interrupting your day! The best part is that you can set the days and times that the answering service takes your calls. All it takes is a quick phone transfer and agents can begin taking your calls.

We hope you have found these tips helpful. Most importantly, we hope you enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones. Give us a call or send an email today to see how we can help give you that needed time with family and friends at an affordable price.