By preparing your customer service well for the holiday period, you can prevent understaffing, arrange any alternatives in time, and clearly communicate to customers what to expect. So start planning early to avoid unpleasant situations and begin your holiday smoothly. Go through the steps below and inform your customers about what they can expect.

1. Know when your staff are going on holiday

Ask customer service staff to provide their availability and days off well ahead of the holiday period. This ensures you have your schedules organised in time and no surprises arise. You’ll then have an early realistic forecast and ample time for any replacements.

2. Replacement not successful? Communicate this clearly

If replacing staff has not been successful and you are experiencing understaffing, communicate this clearly to the customer and set clear expectations. This prevents irritation and frustration. Announce well in advance and clearly when you adjust the availability of your customer service. Let them know that waiting times may be longer than usual and explain why this is the case. Refer to chat, social media, or email when phone lines get too busy. Optionally, mention how long it will take to get a response. 

3. Hire temporary staff through an external party

If it's impossible for you to solve the temporary understaffing yourself and downgrading your customer service isn't an option, hiring temporary staff through an external party could be the solution you need. Nowadays, there are various options that match exactly what your organisation requires.

4. Keep an overview from the poolside

Your staff are going on holiday and probably so are you. No matter how well everything is arranged, it sometimes helps to keep an overview from afar. With an online dashboard, you can easily keep an overview from your beach chair. In five minutes, you'll be fully updated on incoming calls, requests, and their processing. You can do this through our online tool, MyCare.

Head into summer with peace of mind with ContactCare

Managing your customer service staffing in a timely manner is something your organisation must do. However, what we at ContactCare can arrange is a professional summer replacement for your customer service. Our customer service professionals engage with your customers so that they are well taken care of even during the holiday. Moreover, with our online platform Vavox, we offer the option to quickly and clearly gain insight into the status of your customer service from your phone, wherever you are. What you can find here:

• Extensive reports on handled customer contact

• The ability to listen back to conversations and provide feedback to staff

• Real-time cost overview

A peaceful summer holiday with an optimally functioning customer service is indeed possible. The key is: good preparation.

Have a great holiday!