Holiday handover for ongoing business enquiries
Practical answer: Holiday handover for ongoing business enquiries
List each open conversation with its purpose, last agreed action and next contact date. Identify the person authorised to answer routine questions and the matters that need a decision after reopening. Use the business’s approved contact route. Avoid putting confidential agreements or personal identification documents into a general absence message.
A December closure does not necessarily close the conversations already underway. A compact handover helps the next person understand which business enquiries require attention and which can wait until the organisation returns.
Economic context
The RBA’s November 2021 overview described an economic recovery alongside persistent pressure on global supply chains and logistics. Read the RBA overview.
An illustrative example
For instance, a prospective supplier is waiting for a requirements summary while a partnership enquiry is awaiting an introductory call. Those are different follow-up tasks and should have separate owners. Before the handover is complete, ask the receiving person to locate the current notes and explain the next action in their own words.
Three points to take into the conversation
- List open enquiries
- Name the cover contact
- Confirm restart actions
Before progressing the conversation, check that the purpose, current information, responsible contact and next review date are clear. For a corporate-information, supplier or partnership enquiry, contact EJN Services through its enquiry page.
The economic context comes from the report linked above. The process suggestions and examples are original editorial guidance, not RBA recommendations or records of EJN Services engagements.
