Reception Reality

21 Great Reasons Why You Can't Live Without One!

With a tough time ahead in 2009, many small service providers have decided to tighten their belts.  This is a good thing to do if it involves reviewing and cutting unnecessary expenditure within the business.  Unfortunately many small service provider businesses don't fully understand the value of a really well trained and resourceful person to run their front desk and hence have downsized their businesses by letting go a vital key staff member - their receptionist. In actual fact, this is a member of your team who is essential to your business and who should be receiving even more training and motivation to help you to grow your business - even in the current business downturn.  Clients now and in the future are looking for more professionalism, more customer service and generally more value for their dollars - not less!

 Many years ago, when I was in my own small service business, I found out just how difficult it was to run my business without someone on my reception, but I mistakenly thought I just couldn't afford to spend money on someone who seemingly wasn't bringing in a dollar return. I thought I just had to live with having to interrupt my client sessions to answer phone calls or attend to people just popping in to make an appointment or purchase a product.  I shudder now when I look back on those times and wonder just how much business it cost me when in actual fact I thought I was saving some money by not having anyone up front to look after these things for me.

 Then one day, as I was catching a quick cuppa between clients, I came across a life changing  article in an American publication to which I was subscribing at the time.  The article was about the value of having a great person for your reception and when I started reading I couldn't stop.   Each paragraph brought an "ah ha" moment and all of sudden the penny finally dropped for me. Suddenly I realized how foolish I had been in trying to save money by trying to do without this valuable team member.

 Within a few weeks, I had advertised and interviewed several potential people for the reception position in my business and I didn't look back from that time forward.  What a difference!  No more stress for me or my clients through interrupted sessions, as well as having someone to handle a myriad of other jobs that I simply hadn't time to do myself.  My business suddenly went from strength to strength as I was able to implement all of the great ideas I had been sitting on due to lack of time.

 Here is a basic list of what a great receptionist can do for your business that is guaranteed to put more dollars in your register at the end of the day:

 

1. Greeting your clients warmly on arrival
2. Making time efficient appointments for your clients
3. Reminding your clients of their appointments the day before to eliminate ‘no shows"
4. Calling clients who fail to turn up for their appointments to reschedule their appointment and therefore avoid the embarrassment the client often feels from missing their appointment (this can often lead to the permanent loss of the client)
5. Handling the client pre consultation paperwork
6. Ensure all your clients details are entered into your computer
7. Making sure the client is offered a refreshment on arrival
8. Ensuring the clients knows where the restrooms are so they can use them prior to their time with you
9. Seeing the client into the treatment area
10. Handling all incoming phone calls for enquiries and appointments
11. Maintaining the reception/waiting area to ensure it is clean, tidy and well stock with the relevant reading materials and brochures
12. Ensuring all retail stock is clean, well displayed and priced correctly
13. Stocktaking of all retail stock
14. Re-ordering of supplies and retail stock when required
15. Handling and sorting correspondence to reduce wastage of your valuable time
16. Daily balancing of your register and associated paperwork
17. Printing of daily, weekly and monthly reports so you can review them to ensure your business is running on track
18. Handle your client marketing programs (birthdays, welcome letters, special promotions, etc)
19. Accept payment at the end of the clients session and rebook the client.
20. Introduce the clients to retail products that you may have discussed with the client during your session time
21. Explain your client referral program to your clients and ensure they receive your new client referral cards

 

This is really just the tip of the iceberg as to how your receptionist can make you more money.  Your receptionist is literally your "Director of First Impressions" and as such deserves first class training about every aspect of your business and the services you offer, so that they can share your business vision with your clients.

 If you would like help in finding the right person for your "Director of First Impressions" call me to discuss the best way to hire great staff.

 As a Business Development Coach, Pam is able to indulge her passion for helping small business owners to realize their dreams by reaching their business goals.  She finds it exceptionally rewarding to be able to teach business owners how to take the stress and worry out of their lives and replace that with the knowledge that they can, and will, succeed using their own life skills and newly acquired business tools. For help in your business contact Pam today!

 

The information contained in this newsletter is not advice specific to your business and it is recommended that you get personal advice for your business before undertaking any changes.