With the holiday season quickly approaching, wouldn’t you agree that there is no better time than now to plan for the upcoming rush of shoppers?

Every year, during the months of November and December, many industries and businesses are slammed with additional customers. Retail stores, malls, and restaurants often see a huge uptick in activity and sales.

Do you need Help?

During this time of the year, many businesses maximize their profits by hiring seasonal staff. Hiring temporary workers is often a vital step if you hope to capture as many sales as possible. If customers aren’t served promptly and professionally during the holiday rush, there’s a good chance they’ll leave for one of your competitors.

There are several issues that can arise if you decide against hiring the appropriate number of seasonal staffers:

• Inability to handle the needs of every customer, thus losing out on business
• Slow customer service, which can lead to angry, annoyed, and disappointed customers
• More hours and overtime for your current employees, meaning they may be not be able to take off much time (if any) during the holiday season

These are the types of issues that any business would rather avoid. Fortunately, there are temporary staffing options that can help.

Benefits of Temporary Staffing

Now that we have discussed the problems that may arise without a enough staff on hand during the holiday season, let’s take a look at the benefits of hiring temporary staff:

• Potential for a sales boost, since you can easily handle the needs of each and every customer
• Brand awareness by having additional staff to engage more customers on a one-to-one basis
• High return on investment, since each staffer will bring value to the company
• Added holiday spirit, that can make for a more enjoyable and festive atmosphere which your customers will appreciate

Plan in Advance

When it comes to hiring seasonal staff, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is waiting too long. It is easy to assume that you have plenty of time to organize your temporary staff, however the holiday season will be upon us soon enough.

It is never too early to plan and identify your business’s needs. While doing so, don’t make the mistake of underestimating holiday traffic. Instead, look at your performance from the same period last year for a better idea of what to expect. With the economic recovery, it’s likely that you will see a year-over-year increase in holiday traffic this season.

Beat the Competition

The holiday season can make or break your business, especially if you are competing in a retail environment. By ensuring that you have enough staff to properly and efficiently serve your customers, you can increase sales and build your client base.

Now please don’t assume that because it’s the holidays, people will flock to your store. You need to be dually prepared with great offers and promotions along with a proactive, diligent team to engage and attract people into your store along with the resources and manpower to move them through your sales process in a timely manner.

We have supported various clients by such initiatives as handing out candy canes and flyers to increase foot traffic in their store, demonstrating products to boost sales and even event hosting in other parts of the mall or on the street to drive traffic from a different area. The possibilities are endless.

As you make your plans for the holiday, think about additional actions you can take that your competitors may overlook. An experiential marketing campaign could boost holiday sales while helping build your brand.

There is no better time than NOW to consider your temporary staffing needs for the upcoming holiday season.