This time of year is a favorite for me because it means that it's time for my yearly friend date tradition of breakfast burritos and pumpkin lattes at the pumpkin patch!
For the past four years, I have cleared out the back of my car and set a tarp or blanket down for this annual morning tradition. I pick up the breakfast burritos and then go pick up my friend just as the pumpkin patch opens for the day. I grab my yearly pumpkin spice latte, and we find a spot to eat our breakfast burritos and catch up on what happened with each other over the week.
Then, we each get a wheel barrel, and we proceeded to get all the pumpkin things for our porches.
It's all very magical.
Except this year, we ran into some glitches.
We went on the Monday after opening weekend this year (we've never gone on a Monday before), and we already knew that the coffee cart wouldn't be there, so we had a plan in place for that.
However, I did my due diligence and checked to make sure that the burrito place would be open on Monday for our sustenance. According to their Google Business page, it was, in fact, going to be open—words my eyes love to read.
Until… I got to the burrito place's parking lot, and there was a handwritten note on it saying they were now closed on Mondays for the foreseeable future.
Uh…. that sucks.
Even though I have NO idea if that Monday was the first or the 50th day that handwitten sign was up up as usual, my business mishaps have become lessons that I will pass along to you.
Let this serve as your reminder that if you have changed your hours for the season, make sure that your Google My Business Page is up to date, as are the operating hours on your website and social media pages.
I walked back to my car annoyed, disappointed, and hungry, and I don't want that to happen to the members of your community.
The greatest public relations service you can do for your community is effectively communicating your hours.
Closing early or opening late because of life- post on social media. Not going to be open certain dates- send your community an email and update your social media.
But something as permanent as changing your hours even if it's for the "foresseable future" needs a login in and an update on your Google Biz Page and Website as well as social posts.
How do you feel when you see something is going to be open on Google and then you get there and it's not?
Here are some additional PR tips:
Set up Google Alerts for your business: This will notify you when your business is mentioned online, including any updates or changes to your Google Business profile.
Implement a regular schedule for reviewing online information: Set a monthly or quarterly reminder to check all your online listings, not just Google Business.
Use social media for immediate updates: While updating official listings is crucial, use social media platforms to quickly communicate temporary changes or unexpected closures.
Train staff on the importance of accurate information: Ensure all employees understand the impact of outdated information and know how to report any changes.
Create a system for managing seasonal changes: If your business has regular seasonal changes, create a checklist for updating all necessary platforms when these changes occur.
Respond to customer feedback: If a customer mentions being inconvenienced by incorrect information, respond promptly and address the issue.
Use physical signage effectively: While online updates are crucial, don't neglect clear, visible signage at your physical location for last-minute changes.
Maintain consistency across all platforms: Ensure your hours, contact information, and other details are consistent across your website, social media, and business listings.