Front Desk Services
Working the front desk at any establishment, from stores to hotels and clinics, means making a good and lasting first impression on customers. If you’ve been selected to work at the front desk, you will not only be the first person with whom customers and potential clients interact, you’ll also literally be the face of your employer’s business. Even if your job will mostly involve fielding phone calls rather than in-person contact, the responsibility of representing the establishment falls on your shoulders. A potential customer’s decision to invest time and money at any establishment can often hinge on their experience at the front desk. More than merely putting on a good face for customers, good front desk customer service skills is essential for the success of a range of businesses. Here are some basic tips to help you facilitate customer’s needs and make the best impression possible when working the front desk. Small businesses such as hotels, auto dealer service centers and professional offices typically make use of a front desk area to greet and serve customers. A clean, efficient front desk operation provides a favorable impression of your business and makes customers feel welcome. A few tips can help you ensure that you’re making the most of this customer service opportunity.
Continuous Staffing
Your front desk should be staffed at all times during business hours. If customers have to wait for an employee to show up or need to go in search of somebody, it gives them a bad impression of your business’s level of customer service, and it can inconvenience them if they’re in a hurry. Be sure to have a system in place for desk coverage during lunch and breaks.
First Impressions
Your front desk is often the point of initial contact for your customer, so it can leave a lasting impression of your business. It’s important that you have an employee with a friendly personality manning the desk, and the individual should be well-groomed and not eating or snapping gum. You can even have the person deliver a standard greeting to welcome the customer.
Phone Service
Your front desk person may also be responsible for handling incoming telephone calls. If so, implement a policy for how quickly the phone should be answered, such as within three rings or less. If possible, have a backup plan in place to avoid having the call go to voice mail, like installing a phone system where calls “bounce” to another extension after three rings.
Using Customer Names
Train your front desk people to use the customers’ name when addressing them. This can make customers feel important, especially if they return on a regular basis. Have your people address individuals as “Mr.” or “Ms.” unless the customer indicates a different preference, such as being addressed by his first name.
Things to be remember for front desk services:-
Educate yourself about the establishment’s services
While it may seem like a straightforward concept, front desk employees all too often find themselves at a loss when presented with a customer’s question. Being prepared with fundamental information, such as pricing, schedules, and available options, is only the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to interaction with real customers and clients, this basic information often isn’t enough for every encounter. It pays to keep yourself thoroughly informed about every service that your establishment provides, right down to the tiniest details. Remember, if a customer can’t get the information that he or she wants from you, they may ask to see your boss.
Maintain a consistent demeanor and tone with all customers
It may seem obvious that good customer service means remaining calm at all times, but it’s also important to treat all customers the same way. While you’ll grow to like some customers better than others, you should always maintain the same tone and demeanor with each customer, especially when other customers are watching. You may have favorites, but chances are that other customers won’t like seeing you give preferential treatment. On the other hand, you may want to take the time to learn the names of regular customers.
Be a good listener
It may come as a surprise, but being a good listener is almost always an important skill to have when working at the front desk. It’s essential to realize that you’re not merely a talking brochure or menu, you are a representative with whom customers can directly interact. Never cut off a customer’s question by answering too quickly, and never try to drown out a customer by talking over them. You might assume that you already understand exactly what they want, but those assumptions aren’t always right.
Customers like specifics
While it’s usually not a good idea to be too wordy or to talk for too long, it can be helpful to give information that’s as specific as possible, even in response to basic questions. Give concise, focused answers, but present the customer or client with clear details instead of basics. For example, describe menu items in detail rather than just repeating the name of the dish. Use specific dates and times rather than saying “later today” or “next week”.
Be ready to improvise
No two people are exactly alike, which is something that people who work in customer service often know all too well. Some customers will ask questions you may not have considered or make unusual and unique requests. You have to be ready to improvise and come up with unique solutions to satisfy each customer’s needs. If a customer’s request can’t be fulfilled, try to come up with some kind of compromise rather than simply stating that it can’t be done.