If you work in the telecommunications industry, you’re likely familiar with the infamous day of the year that’s known as Telephone Tuesday. But while many don’t exactly look forward to this day, there are ways you can turn such a hectic occasion into a boon for your business.
Interested? Great! Keep reading to learn more about just what Telephone Tuesday is, how to handle its busy nature, and what you can do to make this a day your business looks forward to each year!
What is Telephone Tuesday?
Although its name might imply a weekly or monthly celebration that relates to honoring the humble telephone and its service to the world, the reality of Telephone Tuesday couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, those sorts of acknowledgements are usually reserved for National Telephone Day. Telephone Tuesday, on the other hand, is more of a trend that’s been spiking in recent years, one that sees a certain time of year experiencing more phone calls than any other.
Officially, Telephone Tuesday occurs on or around September 3rd, or whichever Tuesday happens to follow Labor Day. However, in most cases, all days following Labor Day tend to see a substantial increase in the number of calls going out across the country.
As a result, people in the industry have begun dubbing this infamous day Telephone Tuesday, with many bracing for its impact over the long weekend leading up to it. But why exactly is the first Tuesday after Labor Day so renowned for busy phone lines?
Why is Telephone Tuesday so busy?
While there is no concrete explanation for why Telephone Tuesday sees such a noticeable increase in the number of calls taking place at the same time each year, most agree that it’s likely due to the aforementioned long weekend, with unmanned telephones causing delays in many business responses.
But it’s not only the fault of the long weekend. Many US schools often open up after Labor Day as well, and when combined with the rapid approach of the holiday season, most people want to get their to-do list sorted and cleared as soon as possible while they have the time, so they can enjoy themselves later.
But don’t just take our word for it. Studies have shown that inbound calls to businesses can increase anywhere from 30-50% on Telephone Tuesday alone, making it the busiest day for telephone calls in the US all year.
When did Telephone Tuesday start?
Despite the telephone having been around for well over a hundred years, it’s only really been since 2019 that the phenomenon of Telephone Tuesday has become engrained in the US public consciousness.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that telephone lines haven’t been busy at other times throughout the years, all of which we touch on in our piece discussing the history of the telephone.
Is Telephone Tuesday bad for business?
Given how busy Telephone Tuesday can get for those working the call lines after Labor Day, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this day is dreaded by most companies working in telecommunications.
However, because of its growing reputation, Telephone Tuesday can actually be used as a powerful business tool to attract more customers – especially when you consider how close it is to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Simply put, with the right preparation and forethought, you can quickly turn a busy call day for your business into one of the most profitable days of the year. You just have to be sure that you’re not overburdening your staff to ensure you deliver quality customer service all day long.
How to handle Telephone Tuesday
So, now you know how Telephone Tuesday can benefit your business, and why it’s so hectic, but what can you do to prepare for and observe this day properly? After all, it’s more of a business day than a celebration per se.
Well, with that in mind, here are just some of our suggestions for how you can take the pressure off staff on such a chaotic day:
- Be honest about what to expect – first things first, you need to be honest with your staff about what is expected of them on this day. Acknowledge that it’s going to be busy, but remind them that all calls still need to be answered in a professional manner as if it were a normal day.
- Have staff in place to handle overflow – with phone lines set to be so busy over the course of the day, it’s essential that you put the correct safeguards in place so that staff don’t become swamped picking up the phone and that customers aren’t kept waiting for too long.
- Bring treats to the office – as the pressure will be on your staff to deliver excellent customer service across the day, there’s no better time to encourage everyone to bring treats and snacks into the office to boost camaraderie and keep morale up. You, as the head of the business, could even consider buying lunch for the wider team as a way of showing appreciation for their efforts.
- Offer incentives for additional work – asking staff to work harder than is normally expected of them isn’t always best received, but if you know certain staff will be doing more work than on an average day, then providing bonus holiday or pay can be a great way to encourage them to deliver the best customer service possible.
- Offer customer discounts – finally, if you want to ensure you’re getting the most out of the day possible with your customers, then it’s always a smart idea to have deals and discounts ready to go to encourage customers to call in.
Get ready for Telephone Tuesday with VoiceNation
And there you have it, with these tips in hand, you should be more than prepared to deal with Telephone Tuesday the next time it comes around. Of course, if you’re not sure you have the time to get such call infrastructure in place, then why not consider working with VoiceNation instead?
Here at VoiceNation, our team of professional Virtual Receptionists are expertly trained to handle all the needs of a Live Answering Service, ensuring your customers are left with the best impression possible when reaching out to your business.
Get in touch to learn more about what we can offer your business, as well as inquire about our free trial period.