Snow Days and Holiday Hours: How to Keep Customers Informed This Winter

Winter in Garrett County doesn’t ask permission. A storm rolls in overnight, the roads are a mess by morning, and you decide to open late or stay closed. Then a customer drives across the county, pulls into your lot and finds a locked door. Your Google listing said you were open.

Bad weather and holiday schedules are part of doing business here. Customers understand closures. What frustrates them is finding out the hard way.

The good news: keeping people informed takes a few minutes and a little planning. Here’s how to make sure your customers know your hours before they get in the car.

Start With Your Google Business Profile

For most local businesses, Google is the first place customers check your hours. It’s the listing that shows up in search and on Google Maps, and it’s the one people trust most. If it’s wrong, nothing else you post will matter much.

• Use special hours for holidays and one-off changes. Google Business Profile lets you set special hours for specific dates, so your regular schedule stays intact and the change disappears on its own afterward.
• Add a post when weather changes your plans. A short update like “Closed today due to snow, reopening tomorrow at 9” shows right on your profile.
• Save “temporarily closed” for longer closures. That setting is meant for extended shutdowns, not a single snow day.

Put a Notice on Your Website

Your website should match your Google listing. A simple banner across the top of every page is the clearest way to do it, and visitors see it no matter which page they land on.

Keep the message short and specific: what’s changed, for how long and how to reach you. Then take it down as soon as you’re back to normal. An old weather notice still up in March makes a business look closed when it isn’t.

Customers understand a snow day. What they don’t forgive is a wasted trip.

It’s also worth double-checking the hours on your contact page and in your website footer. Those are easy to forget, and they’re often where people look first.

Don’t Forget Your Phone

Plenty of customers still call before they come in, especially older customers and visitors who are new to the area. Update your voicemail greeting whenever your hours change, and record your holiday schedule ahead of time so it’s ready when you need it.

Use Social Media and Email for Quick Updates

A quick post on Facebook or Instagram reaches your regular customers fast, and they’ll often share it for you. If you book appointments, a short email or text to the people scheduled that day saves everyone a headache and keeps your calendar from turning into a string of no-shows.

Plan Your Holiday Hours Now

Holiday hours are the easy part, because you know the dates in advance. Set them once, early, and they’ll be right everywhere.

A Simple Winter Checklist

Make It Easy on Yourself

The businesses that handle winter well aren’t doing anything complicated. They decide ahead of time where updates go, they keep the message short, and they make the change everywhere at once. A few minutes of preparation now means fewer frustrated customers when the first big storm arrives.