Out to Lunch

We’re well into the summer months now, with the 4th of July behind us. I don’t know about you but with the sunshine we’ve had lately and the sounds of kids playing in pools and riding their bikes up and down the street, I’m not all that motivated to sit there at my desk typing away. Yet, the work continues, and if I want to make my clients happy (as well as my tummy), I have to put my nose to the grindstone, and my fingers to the keys of my computer.

Summer is generally the time for vacations and a more leisurely lifestyle – we need it after working hard all those dreary months of winter. Yet, we need to keep in mind (at least from a marketing standpoint) that we have to continue to focus on our efforts to do the work and to keep the work coming in our front doors. For the small and homebased businesses especially, it’s really tempting to say, “I think I’ll take the day off today. It’s just too pretty outside to be working.” But, what if your customers are trying to get you? Do they get a voice mail message? A ringing phone that never picks up? Or a darkened door with a closed sign hanging out front? What do you think that customer is going to do then? If they are very loyal they will probably keep trying until they finally reach you – the next day of so. But, if they are like the vast majority of people, they want their work done and they will head straight for the closest competitor.

What then are your choices? Do you have to stay there working away? Can you not ever take a day of vacation? Sure, but there are some simple actions you can take to ensure that the customer will get their needs taken care of quickly and efficiently even while you’re gone. At the very least, if you have walk in traffic, put out a sign that says that you are closed for the day but will reopen the next at a certain time. If your business lends itself to the humorous, put out a “gone fishing” note or something similar. It will give them a chuckle and they will not feel so frustrated by your absence. They may even wish they were out there on the water with you.

There are also some really good alternatives to voice mail. One for instance, is that for relatively little a month, you can have a live answering service that takes care of your customers as if they were their own. In the article What are the real costs of Virtual Services? later in this newsletter, we’ll see how bringing on someone to answer phones (virtually) and do other work for you will actually save you money. By having someone who sounds like they are part of your business taking messages, you get the calls answered (THE NUMBER ONE BENEFIT) as well as someone who can reach you in an emergency, get accurate information and give out details to someone – perhaps somebody new who is looking to hire your company.

The bottom line is that as small businesses ourselves, we know how important it is to be available to our customers when they need us; yet it is a thin line we must walk in order to have time for ourselves as well. By maintaining some elementary precautions such as these above, we are able to show our clients that we are there for them, and that we will be able to do our best because we’ve had some time to rejuvenate ourselves as well.

Have a great summer and enjoy some time with family and friends!