Sun, sand and staff: How to keep business booming during the summer holidays

As the school holiday period approaches, businesses across the UK are preparing for sun, sand and silence on the phones.

But while holidays are essential, missed calls can mean missed opportunities; in fact, Moneypenny was co-founded by Ed Reeves in the year 2000 when he lost a lucrative business deal simply because he missed a call while on holiday.  Since then, the company’s mission has been to ensure no business suffers the same fate, as it handles communications for thousands of business across the UK, the US and more, from plumbers, to hairdressers, to large corporates.

“Holiday cover is a business-critical task, yet it’s often overlooked until the last minute,” says Moneypenny’s Chief Operating Officer Wendy Swash. “That’s when mistakes happen. We want to help businesses plan ahead so their customers still receive a five-star experience while their teams enjoy a well-deserved break.”

Moneypenny has the following top tips to ensure businesses stay switched on even when their staff are switched off:

Holiday policy

• Make sure you have a clear holiday policy for all staff and that this matches employees’ contracts.  It should cover how to request holiday, the holiday approval process, any restrictions or holiday blackout periods, and emergency leave.

Sun’s out, OOOs on: how to get your Out-of-Office right

One of the most visible signs of holiday absence, the out-of-office email sets expectations. Done wrong, it can confuse, frustrate or even go viral for the wrong reasons.

Wendy Swash, Chief Operating Officer at Moneypenny shares her Dos and Don’ts of Out-of-Office replies:

Dos

• include the exact dates of your absence and when you’ll return
• give a backup contact who can help in your absence
• keep the tone professional. ‘Sorry I can’t respond to your email as I’ll be sipping Pornstar Martinis by the pool,’ might amuse some, but could generate disapproval, or annoy those who’d like to be doing the same thing too

Don’ts:

– forget to switch it off when you’re back

– use jargon like ‘OOO’ if your clients might not understand it

– try to be funny unless you’re absolutely sure it won’t backfire. Remember your audience and if in doubt, keep it simple and helpful.”

Funniest OOO messages seen by Moneypenny team:

“I’m out of office – Glastonbury.”
“Currently out of the office and returning never. Please contact my replacement.”

“Hi, I’m out of office until whenever I feel like coming back. (I’ll be back on the 12th.)”

“Out of the office all day on a course (Golf Course)”

“I’m out of the office right now on a secret mission. I can’t say much but it involves a beach, cocktails, and absolutely no emails. I’ll get back to you when I’ve completed my relaxation tasks.”

“Knock Knock. Who’s there? Not me no”

Moneypenny clients share holiday cover hacks

Moneypenny clients have honed their strategies for smooth summer sailing. Here’s how they prepare:

• Advance rota planning: “We use a shared calendar to book leave early and ensure cover is staggered,” says Alice, Office Manager at a Bristol-based law firm.
• Outsourced support: “We rely on Moneypenny to catch overflow calls and ensure every enquiry gets answered, even when we’re down to a skeleton team,” says Daniel, director of a property company in Leeds.
• Clear internal comms: “We make sure everyone knows who’s on and who’s off at any given time. That includes clients,” says tech firm founder Lucy Green.

Outsource support

• Plan staff leave early, ideally well ahead of the summer, to avoid bottlenecks and ensure cover. Review your busiest hours and prioritise cover for peak times
• Phone answering or virtual receptionist services can keep a business running smoothly. Wendy Swash says: “If your phones go unanswered during peak leave periods, you’re not alone, but that’s no excuse. Customers still expect fast, friendly, professional service. That’s where good planning and reliable support partners come in.”
• Debrief before departure – Make sure team members know what’s needed while you’re away.  Holiday handover notes are hugely useful for this, ideally with contact numbers for those involved in ongoing projects

Extend the holiday contingency planning

Make sure your holiday contingency planning covers the whole summer period.  It might be tempting to assume holidays are over by the end of August, but Moneypenny call data suggests the most popular time for Brits to take a summer holiday is the week of the August Bank Holiday, when the volume of calls the company handles falls by 10% compared to the rest of the school summer holiday period from mid-July to early September.

Remember your suppliers will be taking summer holidays too, so if you are reliant on raw materials or specific parts to produce your products, order in advance of the summer months to ensure you can handle any slowdown in delivery rates.