For: Anyone closing over the break
The Christmas break playbook for trade businesses
You work hard all year, and then you shut the ute for a fortnight and worry the phone is going to ring out. This guide gets the break sorted in one afternoon, so you can switch off and still come back to a full January.
Pick your dates and say them everywhere
Choose your last day and your first day back, and write them down. Then use the same two dates in every place a customer might look: the voicemail, the auto-reply on your email, your Google Business Profile, your website and the bottom of every quote you send in December.
If you say one thing on the phone and another on your website, people ring the wrong day and think you have vanished. Same dates, same words, everywhere.
If you have a few days either side where you will be half there, say so. "Back on the 5th, on site from the 12th" is honest and saves a lot of confused phone calls.
Do this part first. Everything else in this guide leans on those two dates.
Three voicemail scripts
Keep it under twenty seconds. Say who you are, when you are away, when you are back and what to do next. Pick the one that sounds most like you.
Version 1, straight and simple
Hi, you've reached [your name] at [business]. We're closed from [last day] and back on [first day back]. Leave your name, number and a quick line about the job, and I'll ring you back on [first day back].
Version 2, with a booking link
G'day, it's [your name] from [business]. We're off for the Christmas break and back on [first day back]. If you want a spot in January, send us a text with your name and suburb and we'll sort a time as soon as we're open.
Version 3, for urgent work
Hi, [business] here. We're closed until [first day back]. If it's an emergency, please call [emergency contact or service]. Otherwise leave a message and we'll call you on our first day back.
Three auto-reply scripts
The same idea for email, text and web forms. Say you got it, say when you are back, and ask for one useful detail so the first morning back is faster.
Auto-reply 1, email
Thanks for getting in touch with [business]. We're closed from [last day] and back on [first day back]. Reply with your address and a line about the job, and we'll get back to you in the first week.
Auto-reply 2, text
Thanks for your message. [Business] is closed until [first day back]. We'll reply as soon as we're back. If it's urgent, call [emergency contact].
Auto-reply 3, web form
Got it, thanks. We're on a break until [first day back] and your enquiry is at the top of the pile. Book a January time here: [booking link].
Tip: send yourself a test message before you leave, so you know the auto-reply works and reads the way you meant it.
The early-December check-in
Early December is when people are still thinking about jobs they want done early in the new year. Two short messages, sent in your own name, do more than you would expect. Send them one at a time and keep each one personal.
Template 1, old quotes with no decision
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [business]. I quoted your [job] a while back and wanted to check whether it's still on your list. I've got a few January spots I'm pencilling in. Want me to hold one for you? No pressure either way.
Template 2, past customers
Hi [first name], [your name] from [business] here. We did your [job] last time and I hope it's still going well. Before we close for Christmas I'm booking January work. If anything needs a look, reply and I'll fit you in.
Aim to send them in the first two weeks of December. Earlier and people forget. Later and they have switched off. Do not send them in bulk with a "Dear customer" line. A first name and one real detail about their job is the difference between a reply and a delete.
Only message people you are allowed to message. The consent section at the bottom explains what that means in plain words.
Book January slots before you leave
A reply is only worth something if it turns into a time in the diary. Set aside the first week back for site visits and quotes, and offer two options, not an open question. "Tuesday morning or Thursday arvo?" gets an answer. "When suits?" gets silence.
Write the slots into your diary as soon as someone says yes, and send a quick confirmation with the date, the time and your name. Fewer no-shows, and it gives the customer something to hold on to over the break.
Booking confirmation
Great, [first name]. You're booked in for [day, date] at [time] for [job]. If anything changes, reply here and we'll sort it. Have a good Christmas.
The first-week-back list
Before you finish up, make a simple page you will open on day one. It stops the first morning turning into a panic.
- Who replied over the break, and what they asked for.
- Who booked a time, with the date and address.
- Who needs a call back first, and why.
- Old quotes you messaged and have not heard from.
- Anything that came in as urgent while you were away.
Start your first day by working down that list from the top. Ring the urgent ones, then the booked ones, then reply to everything else before you start any new work. That one hour sets up your whole week.
Consent, in plain words
In Australia the Spam Act covers commercial emails and texts. In plain words, you need one of two things before you send: the person agreed to hear from you, or you have a current relationship with them, like a recent customer or someone who asked you for a quote.
Every message must also say who it is from, which is your business name, and must give an easy way to unsubscribe. When someone opts out, stop. If you are not sure about a name on your list, leave it off. This is general information, not legal advice.
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