Our shop is busy on Fridays and Saturdays, modest on weekdays and nearly empty for the first hour of Tuesday mornings. Extended opening hours sound customer-friendly, but staffing an empty room isn't free. I'm considering shortening the quiet hours for a month and tracking whether customers shift their visits or simply stop coming. How do you change hours without frustrating regulars who rely on the existing schedule?
Setting opening hours when demand is uneven across the week
- small-business
- setting
- opening
- hours
38
4 replies
I’d be careful about assuming the quiet hour is truly wasted. Some people come in early on purpose because they like the calm, and if you cu...
I’d be careful about assuming the quiet hour is truly wasted. Some people come in early on purpose because they like the calm, and if you cut that window you may not notice until they drift off somewhere else. If you do change hours, say it clearly and for a reason.
Clear signage helps more than people think. We changed our Saturday opening by thirty minutes and put the update on the door, website, and receipt for two weeks. Still got one complaint, but fewer than I expected.
I’m mostly worried about the Tuesday regulars, honestly. They’re the ones who use the place like it’s part of their commute, which is flatte...