4 December 2015

Tips for Providing the Same Level of Customer Service with Staff on Holidays

The holiday season can put a strain on any business, especially when your staff wants to take time off, too. Don’t risk letting your customer service levels take a nose-dive when your employees are away; use these tips to provide the same level of customer service even when your staff goes on holiday.

Know your busiest times

If you know your busiest days and times, you can make sure you have enough staff to cover those periods to soften the blow of having a few less people in the office. This may mean restricting the times that your staff can take their holidays, but you may still be able to work with them to get the coverage you need when you need it.

Skip the temps

Temporary workers are great, but it can take them a while to get up to speed on the best way to provide your customers with the service they deserve. Instead, hire a call centre to tackle the job. They are trained in customer service and always available, so you still have plenty of professionals providing excellent service to your customers.

Plan well in advance

Give your staff a deadline to request their vacation days so that you plan accordingly and provide adequate coverage. This may mean shuffling staff schedules around to cover the busy times or even using a call centre to pick up workload left by vacationing staff. Make sure your policies regarding time off and holiday scheduling are clear so your employees know what to expect.

Reward your employees for excellent service

Sometimes, there’s no avoiding having staff out during busy times. Keep the morale high in your workplace by rewarding your overworked staff for delivering good customer service. They’ll be more likely to keep up the good work if it’s being recognized and rewarded.