A receptionist is the first point of contact for clients. That's why as a receptionist you already know how important your position is - You're the public's first glimpse into what your organisation is all about and in most cases the impression you leave is the one that sticks.
This means you've got to be at the top of your game at all times, which, let's face it, can be hard to do.
It's your job to ensure that each and every caller or visitor receives the same outstanding level of service- regardless of how you feel, how busy you are, or how the last caller spoke to you...
Being a receptionist is hard work! That's also exactly why we developed our Frontline Reception workshop, we want to help new, and even experienced receptionists, to reach and maintain a level of excellence in their position.
But mistakes can happen... As a receptionist it's important that no matter how busy your day gets, how many phones are ringing simultaneously, or how your to-do list seems to be growing quicker than you can handle, you don't fall into these common bad habits:
1. Racing through your greeting
Yes, this is something you probably say hundreds of times a day, and yes, to you it's the least important part of the conversation, but to the caller it's not. Take your time, once again- this is the first thing you say to them- it leaves an impression.
2. Not starting every call on a clean slate
We're only human, and when someone upsets us it's quite normal to sit with that emotion for a little while. Unfortunately as a receptionist you are simply not afforded that luxury. When the phone rings you have to switch on the charm and leave your personal feelings behind. If this sounds nearly impossible to you, our advice is to start working on your resilience immediately..
3. Automatically placing callers on hold
Nothing makes a caller feel less important than immediately being placed on hold without checking with them first. Yes, yes, you're very busy and the other two phones are ringing, but part of your job is to ensure that every impression made on a client is a positive one. All you need to do in this instance is ask the caller if they mind being put on hold while you connect their call or find out the information they've asked for (then be sure to not leave them on hold for more than a minute!)
Looking to sharper your receptionist skills? Staff Training offers Frontline Receptionist Training in-house (customisable to your desired outcomes), open hosted (at our public venues), and also online.
Email us at info@StaffTraining.co.za for more info or View our full training calendar
