What Kind of First Impression Does Your Organization Make?
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. The first impression of your organization is generated not by upper level leaders, but by the front-desk professionals who greet your clients the moment they walk through the door. A warm, polite greeting conveys that customer service is a priority and clients may even surmise additional attributes such as the reliability and competence of your organization. Likewise, a rude greeting or a team member who is distracted at the front desk is likely to generate negative perceptions not only of the client's encounter at the front desk but of the entire organization.
Here are 3 tips to help you ensure that your team members are creating a flawless service encounter:
- Use positive language. Encourage team members to focus on what they can do, rather than what they can't do. Avoid using phrases such as "Unfortunately, she's in a meeting and isn't available." Instead try "She's in a meeting right now, but may I assist you?"
- Be mindful of non-verbal cues. When greeting customers, team members should use eye contact and a polite friendly tone. Distractions, such as personal phone calls, cell phone distractions and eating and drinking at the front desk should be limited if not excluded all together. Team members should convey through their actions and tone that the customer has their full attention.
- Exceed expectations. Team members should seek out opportunities to exceed expectations in some way during every customer interaction. This could be as simple as going the extra mile to answer a question over the phone or in person rather than transferring or referring customers when it is not absolutely necessary.
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