People say it’s a nice problem to have when you’re in demand, but the truth is it can be a real struggle and if you’re not careful you can risk letting customers down and damage your reputation.
Here are my top tips to cope when it does inevitably happen from time to time.
How to Cope When You Don’t Have Enough Staff to Meet Demand in Your Pet Business
#1. Stay focused on hiring the right people!
I’m going to suggest lots of ways you can cope through a peak period, but to make sure your business is sustainable you do need to focus on hiring the right people.
And you can leverage the fact that your successful business is in demand to attract staff quickly!
Market your business to them as being ‘in demand’ or ‘the number one pet business in [local area]’ or ‘the fastest growing pet business in [local area]’ – people love to be part of a thriving, growing, in demand business!
And let them know they can start immediately! Think about it, when you’re looking for a job, you usually want to start straight away and so will potential employees!
#2. Restructure Your Pricing
Consider offering better rates at times that are easiest for you to service.
And charge a premium for the spots that are more in demand.
Retain your loyal customers by offering them favourable packages for longer term bookings so your staffing needs are more predictable.
#3. Review Your Offers
Offer shorter visits so you can serve more customers with the staff you have.
Focus on your most profitable services and put more of your marketing behind those.
#4. Offer Referral Schemes
Have your staff and customers find your employees by referring their friends and family members.
You could offer free services for customers, vouchers or cash for referrals who stay beyond a specified timescale.
Referred employees have been shown in several studies to perform better and stay longer, so this is a great strategy and can bring employees quickly when you need them!
#5. Reach Out to Former and Seasonal Staff
Former and seasonal staff members you already have a relationship with are likely to want to help you out if they can.
It’s a great chance for them to make some extra money, or they may just want to help out even on a short term basis until you can hire more long term staff.
It’s a great practice to always let your good staff know they are welcome back if they move on for any reason and ask if it’s ok to get in touch if you need them!
#6. Always Be Hiring!
Although you may not need new staff all the time, make sure you have some blogs, social media posts and even eBooks promoting your business as an employer.
It’s great to have these so you can start promoting them any time you need them.
And people will find them even when you’re not promoting them.
If you don’t need staff when you receive enquiries you can always keep a waitlist of people to get in touch with when you do!
The main thing is don’t panic! Stay focused on hiring the right staff and finding creative ways to be there for your clients when you’re in high demand!
