Your OOO!

Creating an excellent first impression

Every so often we all have to have some time off and enjoy a break away from work, so here are some tips to be able to be email free for your half term holiday (what incredible weather!) and give great customer service at the same time as no-one should need to be checking their emails during their annual leave, even people in leadership positions (as I was told I had to in a previous role!) People are paid higher wages for additional responsibility and not to work ridiculously longer hours as I have always thought. Therefore people in leadership roles need a break too, in order to cope with the additional responsibility and pressure they have!

Tip 1 - ensure you tell all your suppliers and customers in advance that you are on holiday so that you can help with any key issues before going away and let them know who will be taking your place during your holiday to be able to contact.

Tip 2 - plan your work around your holiday such as sending content to designers so they design the literature during your holiday ready for draft one to be looked at on your return.

Tip 3 - ensure your ‘out of office’ includes someone the person emailing you can contact in your absence and not just have a message saying you are away which is unhelpful. Always include a telephone number and email address too.

Tip 4 - do state when you will return from your holiday in your out of office and when you will be back in the office to go through your emails.

Tip 5 - this seems obvious to me, but try and plan your holidays around key business dates in the year to support your wellbeing (if you are a worrier and will worry about the event whilst away), and to support your team who will have the additional work of picking this up. Of course key major milestones will always take precedence, after all balance is key, but I have always been one for ensuring key business dates are a focus annually - after all my job is what allows me to have fabulous holidays, time to enjoy what I love as well as shopping!

Happy bank holiday and half term holiday week