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By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | October 6, 2008
No matter how well you prepare and market, you are going to get last-minute holiday orders.
One year just as my family and I were sitting down for Christmas dinner, my business line got a call from a potential customer asking if we delivered on Christmas Day.
Fortunately, I had already created a greeting on my phone announcing that we were closed and now accepting orders for New Years Day and after on our website.
This gets me to three ways to handle last-minute holiday orders.
1. Be sure your regular customers and large orders are handled by the last week before the holiday. That gives you the flexibility to accept the orders you can easily fill, and decline the ones you can’t.
–Before you accept last-minute orders that have to be shipped, be sure to emphasize that their gift baskets being shipped by the major carriers will not likely arrive before the holidays unless they want to invest in stiff overnight charges.
–Consider preparing only local last-minute orders where the customer can pick up their purchase from your store.
2. Make a list of your colleagues, local florists and others you can refer to last-minute callers if you’re unable to take their orders. They’ll appreciate the help and remember your kindness.
3. Create or have on hand some ready made gourmet food baskets that can easily become holiday themes with ribbon and enhancements. If these don’t sell before the end of the year they can become New Year’s gift baskets.
Looking for products and supply wholesalers for your holiday orders?
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Topics: drop shipping, gift basket business, gift basket containers, gift basket delivery, gift basket design tips, gift basket themes, last-minute holiday orders, ready-made gift baskets |
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