How to Handle Holiday Service

Many portable restroom operators work through the holidays to avoid getting behind. However, business closures may limit access to units, requiring PROs to reschedule service. Or, employees may request time off for travel, resulting in less staff to catch up after a scheduled day off. To avoid scrambling to notify employees and customers at the last minute, determine your holiday schedule in advance. In this article, learn how PROs handle holiday service to ensure satisfied customers and efficient routes.

Holiday Service: The Basics

In the United States, there are federally observed holidays throughout the year. Countries all over the world have various paid public holidays as well. On these dates, government buildings may be closed, as will several of your customers’ workplaces. It’s important to note that if a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, government employees observe the holiday on the following Monday. Before planning your schedule, consider how business closures affect your ability to access units. For instance, if you service military bases or other government centers, you may need to include alternative servicing dates on your schedule.

Determine Your Holiday Schedule

Work doesn’t stop during the holidays. But some holidays like Christmas may occur during your slow season, making it more feasible to complete scheduled service at a later date. Operators set up holiday schedules in different ways, such as:

• Take off the holiday and move all scheduled services to the date following the holiday.
• Work ahead during the week of a holiday and finish servicing units before the break.
• Take off the holiday and do scheduled service work on Saturday following the holiday.
• Work through the holiday, skipping inaccessible units and rescheduling service.

Select the option that works best for your business by reviewing the calendar and determining the most efficient way to cover routes throughout the year.

Manage Customer Expectations

Confusion about service dates leads to calls about missed cleanings or staff losing time on their routes because of closures. Once you determine your holiday schedule for the year, add the information to your contracts and other documents. Help customers understand your plan by:

• Sending a yearly holiday schedule noting changes to service visits
• Adding a line to contracts explaining your holiday policy
• Including information about extra service charges due to inaccessible units
• Automating email reminders before a holiday to alert customers to a schedule change
• Requesting keys or access ahead of time for holiday servicing

Define Holiday Compensation and Scheduling

Portable restroom operators use various methods for holiday compensation and scheduling. You may offer holiday routes (and holiday pay) to employees by seniority or ask for volunteers. Or, you could alternate holidays among your staff throughout the year. Avoid discontent by developing clear policies about holiday schedules and pay. Doing so gives staff information to plan accordingly.

Stay on Track with Fewer Interruptions

By setting up your holiday schedule early, you can help customers and staff know what to expect. It also gives you a chance to figure out how breaks affect your route efficiency so you can optimize your schedule all year long.

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