Question CHANGING STORE HOURS

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Puppiesonacid

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Is there a way to go about this other than just doing it?

I am thinking of changing certain days to opening later and closing later for the holidays

like
M W 11-7

T T F 10-6

Is this something customers will just find out when they come by, or something i should send a post card out about to my customers?

Any suggestions from anyone who has done this.
 
Quite honestly, since it is just for seasonal hours, I'd just suck it up and still open on Monday and Wed at 10. Turn the confusion into a good thing by announcing later hours on Mondays and Wednesdays for the Holidaze. No ill will by missing any customers by opening later than usual and you'll still be able to guage whether or not later hours would be good for business and something you might want to continue.

Do you have a FaceBook page or a good email list? If so, announce on those. Call any customers that may have work waiting for pickup so they know of your changed or extended hours.
 
Ill have to ask the wife about working longer hours now that she works from home.

That was my original thought of what you said to do.
 
I extend my hours every year for the holidays.

EXTEND. I just post the new hours out front, on my website, and FB page.

I go from
10 - 6 Tues - Friday 10 - 2 Saturday
to
10 - 6 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
9 - 7 Wed
10 - 4 Sat, Sun

Essentially 5 days to 7 days with extended hours on Wed and Saturday.

They're ready to spend for the holidays. I want to make it easy for them.

I try not to close on hours they have come to expect me here.
 
How do you manage all those hours Cliff?

I used to do 6 days a week and then decided to close on Mondays a few years ago. Now I cherish my Mondays off so much that I don't even want to consider coming in on one.

I know it is hard to tell, but do the extra hours actually bring in more business? I have found that going from 6 to 5 days a week didn't change the dollars coming through the door one iota.
 
Jason; I see you're not open on Saturday????? Or do I read your post the wrong way?

I would consider opening on Saturday then as an extra for the holidays...and then close Mondays after the holidays.....
 
FrameMakers said:
How do you manage all those hours Cliff?

I used to do 6 days a week and then decided to close on Mondays a few years ago. Now I cherish my Mondays off so much that I don't even want to consider coming in on one.

I know it is hard to tell, but do the extra hours actually bring in more business? I have found that going from 6 to 5 days a week didn't change the dollars coming through the door one iota.
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My Holiday Hours start Thanksgiving Weekend and end at Christmas. For that time I can deal with it.

Does it help? How can I know? Partially, the business picks up for me so much at that time, that I need to be here to get the work done anyway. Clearly, people come in during the extended hours.

During the summer I close Saturday, Sunday AND Monday (Golf and the beach you know) and don't notice a drop from previous years when I had help open for me.

It's more a case of being visible when I need to be. The holidays are such a significant increase in orders that I don't want anyone getting nervous and going somewhere else because I'm not available.
 
I would put a sign up a few weeks ahead to let the reg customers know of the change. Whe we first opened in Cody it was off season and we were setting the store up as well and we had hours tue to sat. Then when the tourist started to come in we opened mondays as well. Since then we get too much business in on monday to close so I am stuck open mon to sat 9 to 5:30.
 
Ylva said:
Jason; I see you're not open on Saturday????? Or do I read your post the wrong way?
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10-4 on saturdays... mostly cause of softball. I am not changing those. and closed on sundays.

No you didn't read it wrong. I didn't put it. :)
 
Would you be able to do extended hours instead (or would that be asking for a fight with wife??? ;).....)

I don't know how your last Christmas season was? I get a lot of shoppers in the morning; so not sure if the 11 am open time would work; a lot of moms shop early hours when the kids are in school. Again; might be different for you but that's how it's here.

Other than that; post it on your door, your website, facebook and email an update to existing customers.
 
I put up a sign that read "New Store Hours".
I close at 3 on Fridays, coz of my PT job. My customers are used to it.

Being that we are small business owners most customers don't fret. I had one, and she's on THAT list anyway. (Long story).
If I get sick, or drop my PC tower on my foot and need to go to the hospital and get it x-rayed, I close and post a sign. And tell them why. Yup, I told them I dropped a PC on my foot.

I can get away with that...BB stores can't! There are some advantages. ;)

Puppydood, just tell them, hours are changing. If they wanna see your cute face, get in there when you are open.
 
I try (99%) to maintain posted hours, but when I do have to change some I post it on my website/facebook/door and answering machine. Next week for example I have to close an hour ealier on Friday and it has been posted for a few days.

When I tried an experiment this Summer of closing on Mondays, I posted as above and customers seemed to adjust. They know/make mention that I am closed on Monday. I have decided to make it permanet and simply changed the hours on all of the above.
 
I think some small business' make store hours confusing to customers. We are 10-6 Mon.-Fri., 10-2 on Sat., closed on Sun. If we work late we keep the door open, last Sat. at 4 we took in a $1,500. framing order. And yes my wife and I are here for all of those hours.
 
mike said:
I think some small business' make store hours confusing to customers. We are 10-6 Mon.-Fri., 10-2 on Sat., closed on Sun. If we work late we keep the door open, last Sat. at 4 we took in a $1,500. framing order. And yes my wife and I are here for all of those hours.
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Yep. Simplify so the customers know when you'll be there. There have been a bunch of threads on this topic but consistency is a big deal to people. We extend our hours for the fourth quarter and post it but don't advertise it any differently. If I were cutting hours, I would have signage in the store, on the website, on our voicemail, on the work orders, etc well in advance of said change to give my customers a chance to acclimate.

10 - 2 on a Saturday? I'd miss out on 10% of my weekly volume if we did that. Afternoons on Saturdays are always good for us because folks get their kiddos soccer/baseball/insert living vicariously through your child sport here out of the way and then visit.
 
pwalters said:
... 10 - 2 on a Saturday? I'd miss out on 10% of my weekly volume if we did that. Afternoons on Saturdays are always good for us because folks get their kiddos soccer/baseball/insert living vicariously through your child sport here out of the way and then visit.
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I expected that when I opened and had 10 - 6 on Saturday hours.

The "square" where my shop is pretty much closes down at 2. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker (actually there is no candlestick maker) ... well, you get the idea, they ALL close at 2:00, so the customers assume I do too. So, I do.
 
10 till 2 is the norm on Main Street around here on Saturdays. I do tell phone customers that I am happy to stay later if they need more time, and they appreciate that.
 
Due to a situation beyond my control, I recently had to lower my store hours from M-S, 10-5:30 to 10-3 T-F. For 37 years, I was a die hard about being open 6 days a week. Due to the loss of an employee and my own health issues, I just couldn't do that anymore. I have truly amazed that not a single customer has complained. Even my commercial accounts say "no problem". So, I think it might depend on your customers and how they react as to how your hours work.
 
nikfrz said:
10 till 2 is the norm on Main Street around here on Saturdays. I do tell phone customers that I am happy to stay later if they need more time, and they appreciate that.
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Same here; basically, after 1 it is dead. I usually stay until 4 on a Saturday anyway and keep the door open....I have never had any business after 2 on a Saturday.
I am open on Mondays; and usually have customers....there is no rhyme or reason to it but as a single person shop; you have to take some time for yourself.
I have found that the customers who are not understanding (and they are few) are the ones that are the biggest PITA anyway....the ones you can never make happy no matter how far out of your way you go.

I try to be as consistent as possible in my hours. However; having kids makes it impossible sometimes. If the school nurse calls and I have to pick up a sick child; I'm on my way.
Like chickie; I always post why I had to leave and most people are understanding and ask if everything is alright when they return the next day.
 
people can and will come in any time of day here.

if i say im open till 5, they will wait till 5 to come in instead of 4.

if they can't make it i tell them to let me know when they are coming and i will wait longer for them if need be.... 100% always say, thats ok don't worry about it, ill make it in at some point... but I offer. so its good.
 
When I was managing a nationwide chain store, managers were required to work Mon, Fri and Sat. Taken from a national average, those were the busiest days of the week.

My last framing job, in Napa, CA however, there was no such consistency other than Saturdays being the slowest. Could hardly pay anyone to come in.
 
IF my car is here........ You know.. with the SHOP NAME all over it...... Come on in................ :kaffeetrinker_2:
 
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