Going on holiday - how do you cope?

[goldndelicious]

Hi all,

We're all going on holiday later this summer for a week, Yay! and won't be near a computer or anything to do with the business at all!

When i set up the business (as a part time thing) i didn't ever really consider this as an issue as i didn't intend it to be as busy as i am at present.

So my question is, when you are on holiday - and if like me, you are the only person who runs it and have no-one to pass it on to for the week, how do you cope? how do you manage customers expectations if they place an order the minute you've packed your bags and locked the door behind you?

I'm planning to inform people at several steps along the checkout process that their order won't be shipped until a specific date, but do you have any tips?

[friendlybaby]

My last holiday I put a note in the newsletter at the beginning of the month to say that orders placed between x and y would be dispatched on z. This encouraged regulars to place their orders early. Then on the site a few days before I went I put it in the banner so it was on every single page of the site. Then just as we left I added it to the delivery options on the checkout, so for example standard delivery: in stock items dispatched by first class post on z. Amazingly I'd say I had more orders than usual while I was away!

I do have access to emails on my phone and went and loitered at McDonalds (for their free wifi, as data access is extraordinarily expensive overseas if you just use the phone network) every evening to check emails and respond where necessary. It also meant that I was able to place an order with one of my efficient suppliers the day before we left when I could see that I wouldn't have sufficient stock of things customers had bought.

Of course doing it this way means that you don't really get a break from the business properly as I was still doing a bit each day. However if I hadn't done this the first day back would have been awful. I did manage to dispatch all orders the first day back (just!) because I already had everything dealt with and had already contacted customers to query the odd thing in advance.

Enjoy your holiday however you decide to handle it.

[Mary Poppins]

I don't advertise on the site but have it in large letters throughout checkout stages. This gives customers a chance to back out if they wanted to. I have never found it a problem to be honest. I take my laptop and dongle with us but we only go in this country and check in briefly once a day just to see how things are going. I sometimes respond to customers if necessary via email but obviously I can't process their orders.

Enjoy your break away. Your business will survive.

[blush]

I have three part time staff now so no longer an issue but in the past my first time I put anotice up to say we were closed for stock taking and came backto record orderd!, the next time I knew there was internet access in the hotel, and the times I have stayed in this country I have used my blackberry to keep on top of emails and took my laptop and dongle .
But the fact you are so busy and you are having to look at this is a good sign, hope you have a fantastic holiday too:D

[Arianna]

With Ihelm Enterprises - I put a note on my signature saying the office will be closed etc etc and when and I also send out an e-mail to a fair number of clients - bookkeeping/payroll and those web clients who I do work for on a regular basis etc. I then set up an autoresponder for the email addresses that goes out while I'm on holiday saying the office is closed and will re-open on x date etc etc if it's an emergency (ie your website is not working) please email this address and we will try to get back to you asap. If we're in the UK we then check it as often as we can and deal with anything that's an emergency, if we're abroad that's a whole different matter and we're going to have to figure out what to do as we're going to Portugal in August with no internet - so that'll be interesting.

With Delicate Dreams on the shopping cart page, the order pages, checkout, and then the emails customers get, we put that any orders placed between x date and x date will not be sent until x date. We make sure it's in enough places that people can't miss it and then we just deal with those when we get back.

Arianna

[samigail]

I find this difficult too. I pop a notice in the columm so it appears on every page to the effect of orders made from x date will take 10 days and be dispatched during week commencing x due to current high volume of orders. Doesn't stop people phoning me for urgent order requests.
We're just back from a week's camping where I found no mobile signal on the campsite, but we did pop to macdnalds carpark for free wifi!
My message on the website clearly isn't very effective though given the deadlines people need orders by!

[partybabe]

My solution to this is an easy one, we don't have holidays! I do manage to get some work free time though and try to spend as much time doing family things but it certainly makes life easier (would much prefer a holiday though!)

[Slug]

I have a netbook and a dongle and work where and when I can. Last year we had a really dodgy signal in Norfolk & I had to lean out of the window with my laptop to approve new listings. We ended up driving in the car to find a signal with me working from the passenger seat. Not ideal but this year we've apparently got fast broadband from the villa we'll be renting - hopefully it'll be a bit easier.

Gail.