The holiday season can be a stressful time for shoppers and business owners alike. Get ahead of the stress this year and prepare for the rush by checking out our tips below.

Kindness & Care
As you interact with customers, keep in mind the stress that they may be experiencing during this busy season. Remember that many people are under a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations of the season and get their shopping done. Set an example of the warmth of the season with how you interact with staff and share the joy of the season with customers. Be the smile in their day during their holiday prep. Consider the possibility of even sending a thank you or Christmas card to your most loyal customers to show them you care about them. Be creative in finding ways to show genuine interest in your customers and that you truly care to help them through the season. Even a smile can go a long way.

Clear & Consistent Communication
Avoid unnecessary stress and frustration by being upfront, clear, and consistent in your communications during the holidays. Set clear expectations so customers will know how long they should expect to wait, how they can return a gift if need be, when items will be restocked, holiday hours, etc. Making such information easily accessible saves customers from tracking down the answers and saves you the time spent repeatedly answering the same questions. Consider even sitting down to create or update an FAQ for the holiday season expectations. Communicate these expectations wherever you think you’re likeliest to find your customers – social media, signage at the store entrance, newspaper ads, etc.

Holiday Deals
These days people often expect you to offer specials and deals during the holiday season. Between Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, and Cyber Monday people are accustomed to discounts and such at this time of year. Take this as an opportunity to stand out from other businesses. Something someone buys on sale now could turn into a satisfied, loyal, and returning customer later. Don’t just offer a percentage off because you’re practically expected to, consider what value and experience you could offer that will keep shoppers coming back when the deals are long gone.

Try out these tips to keep customers happy this holiday season.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s December 2023 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.