The Holidays are upon us again as another year comes to a close. You are busy, no doubt, winding down the year and making preparations for a strong start to 2017. You may not have thought about preparing your business phone system for the unusual schedule this season requires. The following guide will help you make sure your phone system is ready for the holidays.
Preparing Your Business Phone System for the Holidays
Many businesses run on a different schedule during the holidays and your customers will have questions. Your goal is to anticipate these questions and concerns and address some of them with your phone system. It is also a great opportunity to spread some goodwill and holiday cheer.
- Customize your music and messages. Let your customers hear a customized greeting, spreading holiday cheer while giving important information. Change your on-hold music to a playlist of holiday songs. Take advantage of this opportunity to let them feel a human touch.
- Include your holiday hours and schedule. You will no doubt have this information posted on your website, but it just makes it easier when they can hear it when they call as well. It also makes you look much more professional. It will speak to the level of service they can expect from you all year round.
- Setup call forwarding. You may be in and out of the office much more during the holidays than any other time of the year. Utilize your system’s call forwarding feature to make sure you never miss an important call. A Voice over IP system typically features an extremely customizable call forwarding feature with many options.
- Scale up to keep up. Your call volume may increase drastically during holiday weeks, requiring a larger staff and more extensions. If you have a VoIP phone system you can always add more extensions as needed. Make sure your customers aren’t experiencing long hold times. You can also add an extension and message specifically for seasonal hires.
- Promote Seasonal Specials. Use your holiday greetings and on-hold messages to promote any special deals you are running for the holidays. Customers always love to get a good deal and you may make some extra sales this way. Show them you are giving with great holiday deal promotions on your phone system.
Your Phone System Makes a Difference
The holidays are a time for goodwill and warm greetings. You can prepare your business phone system to boost your brand by spreading holiday cheer and saving your customers uncertainty and frustration. Contact Us for more information on how to prepare your business phone system for the holidays. If you do not yet have Voice over IP, consider giving yourself a Christmas gift that will delight your employees and customers all year round.
