Leaving Your Job Behind (but not your customers)
After a long and rainy spring, the sun is finally shining. Warmer temperatures and bright days inevitably lead to thoughts of a summer vacation. Running a business doesn’t always allow for time off, however it is important for your own health, mental and physical, to take a break and refresh. In order to make the most of your time off, you must leave work at work and be able to be present and enjoy your vacation. Here are some steps to take to enable you to do just that.
A good place to start is to prepare for your return. Organize your desk and your paperwork, so you can seamlessly step back into your business day when you get back. Empty the trash, throw out any perishable food items, clear out your inbox, and return all calls and voicemails. A clean slate will prevent you from wasting valuable time when you get back trying to organize your thoughts and your work space.
Your staff is the lifeblood of your business. If you hire the right people, they can be trained and empowered to act in your stead while you are away. With a competent staff, you can delegate responsibilities and tasks and feel confident enough to go on vacation without worrying about what is happening at the office.
You’ll want to alert important customers of your time off. Assure them that they are in good hands with your staff, and you will be available to assist them upon your return.
If specific accounts or customers have been delegated to a certain staff member, be sure to connect the customer and staff member before you leave. Open the lines of communication – this will benefit everyone involved.
It’s important to communicate to your customers that you are away from work. If they need assistance while you are away, it should be clear to them how to access it, especially in case of an emergency. With a virtual phone system from AccessDirect, we can help you set up specific programming for when you are on vacation. Our virtual phone system lets you record a personalized out-of-office greeting for your voicemail, redirect your calls to another staff member, and have everything return to normal programming automatically when you return.
Taking the time to prepare for your vacation benefits everyone. Your customers will be in good hands with a well-prepared staff, and you will be able to fully relax during your time away from work. Enjoy your well-deserved vacation and come back rejuvenated and refreshed and ready to go.
