Although no one wants to have to plan for unexpected maintenance or repairs at their place of business, the reality is that things break, malfunction or need updating even at work. The difference between having maintenance or repairs done at home and having them done at work is that what would just be an inconvenience at home is now costing your company money at work due to lost business. However, there are some things you can do to help minimize the effects maintenance or repairs can have on your business’s functionality. To find out how, here are three tips to keep your business running as close to normally as possible in the midst of maintenance or repairs.
Put Safety First
Whether you’re fixing a small problem like a leaking faucet or conducting a larger renovation, putting both your employees’ and customers’ safety first must be your top priority. For this reason, Joanne Tropello, a contributor to CareerAddict.com, recommends for business owners to speak with a contractor before you begin your maintenance or repairs to ensure that you know what safety codes you need to be following. This will help you avoid running into problems with the law by having people where they shouldn’t be within the construction area or having any customers or employees receiving any injuries as a result of your renovation.
Run Promotions and Discounts
It’s a good idea to make your customers aware of the maintenance or repairs that are going to be going on at your place of business. This will help them to not feel blindsided by you if they choose to visit your location. However, maintenance and repairs can often be a turnoff for shoppers because of the inconvenience it poses to them. But if you’re keeping your doors open during a short construction period because you need that revenue coming in, you’re going to want to do something to entice customers to continue coming to your shop regardless of your potentially disheveled appearance.
Robbie Vogel, a contributor to OwnerNation.us, suggests for business owners to run promotions or discounts specifically during times of maintenance to encourage customers to continue coming to your store. This could include something like a certain percentage discount on any item purchased during renovation or a free gift with transactions completed during construction.
Work With Your Employees
Not only can times of maintenance be annoying to customers, but it can be a large burden on your employees as well. And if your employees aren’t happy being at work, their job performance will suffer. To combat against this, Glenn Curtis, a contributor to Investopedia.com, recommends making sure you speak to your employees and ensure they’re on board with the changes being made in order to keep the quality of your customers’ experience at a level you’re satisfied with during maintenance. Happy employees will make this process much easier on you.
Although keeping your doors open during maintenance or repairs can be a challenge, if you’re well prepared for this short time of inconvenience, you should be able to make the necessary changes and get back to your normal business routine in no time. Use the tips mentioned above to help get you through this time of upheaval with grace and dignity.