WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS COME CALLING: DON'T UNDERVALUE YOUR RECEPTIONIST
by Judi Newman
More business has been lost because of poor service and poor treatment than because of poor product. This second in a series of articles on phone manners by Judi Newman focuses on the value of your receptionist.
YOUR RECEPTIONIST SHOULD BE YOUR NO. 1 PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSON
Your agency's telephone technique starts — but doesn't end — with your receptionist. Unless you've been a receptionist yourself, you probably can't appreciate what a difficult and important job it is. This front-line salesperson should be trained and paid better than is usually the case. Treat your receptionist as a key employee, not just someone who knows the mechanics of operating the phone system. A poor receptionist can wreak havoc on the entire agency operation; a good receptionist is too often taken for granted.
To perform the job well, a receptionist truly needs to be a “people” person, willing to help others, emotionally mature, not easily rattled by callers who are less than courteous, and have a pleasant speaking voice with good grammar and diction. They (a receptionist can be male or female, of course) must have a good working knowledge of the agency operation and of insurance in general.
To cultivate your receptionist as a skilled public relations professional who happens to sit at the front desk:
- Treat them with respect, as a key member of the agency team;
- Give them the training and information they need to do their job; and
- Pay them well.
THE RECEPTIONIST AS QUARTERBACK
Forgive the sports analogy, but your receptionist is the only quarterback on your telephone football team. It's important that they begin the play with a good snap, but what happens after they hand off the call to an agent or CSR is just as important. Quarterbacks might call the shots, but they rarely make the touchdowns. Everyone in the agency must be committed to and trained in professional telephone manners.
THE RECEPTIONIST'S DESK: COMMUNICATIONS CENTRAL
Think of the receptionist's desk as communications central. In other words, they need to know when someone is out of the office and when they expect to return. They need to know when client or staff conferences make it necessary to hold calls and take messages for certain people. They need to know when an important client is expected to arrive, so they can greet them personally. This isn't a case of “big brother/sister” watching over everyone; it's a case of the receptionist having the information they need to treat callers and visitors quickly and with courtesy.
Some telephone systems make this task easier for everyone. For example, “Out” and “Do Not Disturb” options allow us to communicate with the receptionist at the touch of a button — if we understand the importance of doing so and develop this good habit.
The next article in this series will focus on tips for developing and maintaining good phone manners.
Judith H. Newman is president of Phaze II Consulting, Inc. (Ft. Myers, FL), a management consulting firm for the insurance industry. Phaze II Consulting is the owner of the Master Agency Manager , an IIABA Best Practices Tool. For more information, call (941) 481-6001, (800) 638-0657, or e-mail [email protected].