Things Process Servers Can Do When Business Is Slow

• December 05, 2022
• by Stephanie Irvine
• Articles

Almost every industry faces tough or just regular slow times at one point or another, and the process serving industry is no different. While there are many posts on how to find new process serving clients and how to get started, what should process servers do when they don’t have papers to serve? Let’s explore some options.

Make Productive Use of Downtime

When it rains, it pours, so making use of downtime in a productive manner will be advantageous for process servers in the long run. Taking care of various “housekeeping” tasks will help ensure that things run smoothly when business does pick back up. Housekeeping items could include analyzing customer relationships to identify potential leads, filing business paperwork that piled up, getting tax documents together in advance of filings, and even simply cleaning up the office. It could also include finally spending time researching a new device, updating the business process serving website, trying out new routing apps, or investing in a new process serving software. Overall, making productive use of downtime can help business owners stay on top of work more easily during busy periods.

Review Business Numbers

A slow time is a great time to evaluate expenditures, revenue, client turnover and relationships, and more. If you aren’t keeping track of this information, a slow time can provide an excellent opportunity to start getting organized and poised for success. Process servers can check to make sure they are spending their dollars wisely, find areas where they could save money, and evaluate if there are monies that could be reinvested in the business to improve service. At the very least, process servers should have accounting software to keep track of your expenditures and revenue for the tax season. Taking the time to review and understand these important numbers, as well as to reach out to old and prospective customers, will help ensure the business is on solid footing in the present and for the future.

Get Connected to Old & Existing Clients

Process serving is obviously a service-related industry, but it’s also one that is a necessary service required by the courts, which offers some stability. With that said, process servers still need to be cognizant of their customer relationships as there are customers who will drop off for one reason or another. Using downtime to reach out to the one-off clients or old customers may help generate new business in the future. Reaching out to an old client may create a new business opportunity. Moreover, staying connected with past and current clients can help process servers double check their work to ensure they are providing the best quality of service for their clients. Checking in with current clients gives process servers the chance to find out about and address issues that they might not have otherwise had the opportunity to learn about — and it can prevent the client from going elsewhere for process service.

Advertise

New customers are important to secure, especially as there will always be some level of fluctuation with an existing client list. There are a number of reasons why an existing customer might stop using a business’s services; they may have only needed a one-time service, they may find a less expensive provider, they may be unhappy with some element of the service but not say anything, they may know someone getting into process serving, they may get out of the line of work altogether, or perhaps even some other reason. Creating a steady stream of new clients will help keep revenue coming in when times get slow. Process servers can use downtime to invest in advertising and marketing techniques, such as writing introduction letters to prospective clients or securing a listing with ServeNow are great options.

Recharge

Working at a breakneck pace can be exhausting, and it is not sustainable for long periods of time. Burnout affects all people when they are pushed to the limit for extended periods of time. Enduring long periods of stress can be harmful to an individual’s health. Process servers could make good use of downtime by taking time out to do the things they enjoy, relaxing, spending time with family and friends, or even taking care of their personal to-do list — all of which will help reduce stress and help a server better take on the busy days.

Downtime Isn’t A Bad Time!

Overall, downtime or slow periods in business are not necessarily a bad thing. Process servers can use this slower time to accomplish tasks, generate new business, and recharge.