Closed for COVID? Never Tell A Customer You Are Closed for Business
Founder + Partner + CEO
Published Thursday, July 30, 2020
I am a proponent of saying yes more than saying no. I believe in always working to find a way to get a job done for our thousands of customers. Sometimes it means going above and beyond to develop a solution. Other times it is as simple as letting them know we are always open for business.
With the chaos of COVID, companies have been posting temporary signs of changes in their operating hours, forced shutdowns, and that employees are working from home. The sign I ran into this morning read, “Due to COVID, we are closed Sunday and Monday.” Another temporary business poster read, “Our offices are closed, and our employees are working remotely.” Yesterday, bars were mandated to close with no set opening date, and I saw several signs with the message, “We are closed until further notice.” The phrasing of these messages subconsciously tells customers you do not want their business. These posted signs are sending the wrong message.
There is an underlying thought process when your customers think you are not available to help them. If your customer expects you to be available/open and you are not, you lose value. Which does not mean that a business can never close; it just means that a company should create the perception of always being open. There is a big difference.
You should always tell your customers the business is open and ready to help! Simply adjusting your phrasing from being closed to being open makes you more inviting, more helpful, and promotes that the company will endure trying times. Instead of being closed Sunday and Monday, why not say, “Our hours have changed, and we are now open Tuesday through Saturday.” Have you been able to go entirely virtually? Then try something like, “For a temporary time, our employees are working remotely, and we are available online.” Phrasing it this way instead of, “closed until further notice,” shows that you are still are available and desire to help even when the doors might be locked. It also relays that you will open back up as soon as it’s feasible and safe.
At ScreenBroidery, the office hours listed on our front door read, “Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and open online all of the time.” We will never tell our customers we are closed – I will never use the word “closed” for any reason (outside of this article). Our office may not be open, but we will find a way to help our customers. While this sends a message to customers, it also influences employees and our office culture. I make a big deal of this because I want our team to recognize our customers should come first, and we should always be open to help. If we say we are “Closed on Saturday,” subconsciously, it communicates an idea that we are unavailable.
COVID has forced us to make a lot of unplanned changes. None of the changes should impact your willingness and ambition to serve your customer. Don’t let a temporary sign tell your customer otherwise.