Before the long holidays, these preparations can be done!

In a little while, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. Just thinking about the upcoming 8-day holiday, I'm feeling excited.

But before the holiday, there are some preparations need to be done, which is to avoid any disruptions or impacts on our customers and orders. So, what are the essential tasks to be done in foreign trade business before taking a break?



Holiday Notice

Since the holiday period is relatively long, it can be very detrimental to our business development if customers can't reach you or get a response during this time, leading to misunderstandings. Therefore, it's essential to send an email notification to your customers before going on holiday. Some teams take advantage of this national celebration to run marketing campaigns for their customers.
 
Here, I'll share a holiday notification email template for you to use:
 
Dear xxx,
Good day to you!
 
Thank you for your continuous support to our company. We will be closed from September 29th to October 6th for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. We will resume work on the 7th, and we might have limited access to email during this period.
 
If there is any urgent matter, please feel free to call my mobile phone at 134…….
 
Thank you, and we wish you all good health and safety.
XXX
 
Custom Auto-reply
 
Since we won't be constantly monitoring our emails during the holiday, setting up an automatic reply is the best solution when customers contact us without knowing we are away. Make sure to include your emergency contact information in the reply so that customers can reach out to you immediately, even if you can't respond promptly. Here's a template to help:
 
My dear friend,
 
Thank you for supporting our company's business, and I apologize for not responding at the moment. From September 29th to October 6th, it's the National Holiday in China, so I won't be in the office. Your emails will be attended to on October 7th, 2023. However, please do not hesitate to call my mobile at +86-138xxxxxxx for any issue with top priority.
 
I wish you all the best.


 
Other Status Updates
 
Many customer communications have shifted to social media platforms. During the holiday, if you're traveling or doing something interesting, sharing it on social media can be a way to maintain customer engagement. Personal life updates often attract customers as well.
 
Holiday Order Reminders

In addition to the above preparations, the period before the holiday is an excellent time for order reminders. If you have potential customers in the pipeline, you can use the holiday to remind them. Phrases like "Production will be tight after the holiday; prices may increase post-holiday; shipping will be in high demand" can encourage customers to place their orders promptly. Below is a template for a reminder:
 
Dear xxx,
After October, shipping space will become very limited due to the Christmas season. Additionally, freight charges will fluctuate significantly at that time.
 
We don't mean to rush you, but from September 29th to October 6th is China's National Day. During this period, all Chinese factories will be closed.
 
To ensure that all goods are delivered as scheduled, could you please provide final order confirmation by this week? This will help us plan production properly. Thank you for your understanding.
 
If you have no specific plans for the holiday and can manage your emails during that time, it's not advisable to use an automatic reply to avoid missing inquiries from potential customers. Also, before the holiday, confirm the shipping schedule with your freight forwarder to prevent any delays due to the holiday and ensure on-time delivery.