Receptionist Etiquette - Don't Forget the Customer Comes First!

I had a shocking experience recently with a local vendor that I do regular business with that serves as a great reminder of the importance of exceptional receptionist etiquette.

After receiving my regular monthly invoice from this organization I decided that instead of sending my payment by mail as usual I would go to their office, ask a quick question about my statement, and make my payment in person. After all, it was a nice day outside and I had been at my computer for close to seven hours and needed some fresh air.

I made the short walk (only three blocks) to one of the company's branch offices and walked inside. I immediately noticed that the receptionist (the only person visible in the office) was on the phone, so I made eye contact with her and smiled. She returned the gesture.

So far, so good…

However, it didn't take me long to gather that she was not talking to a Customer but rather a co-worker from another branch office. As I patiently stood in the office foyer I quickly observed that these two individuals were not talking about work related matters, but rather personal matters and general office gossip.

For the next several minutes I paced around the office lobby looking at pictures on the wall, listening to a phone conversation with no end in sight, and steadily loosing my patience. I finally sat down on the chair in the lobby, crossed my arms and legs, and displayed fairly obvious body language that I was waiting to be served and in somewhat of a hurry.

Much to my dismay, when the receptionist finally glanced towards me she leaned back even further in her chair and continued to talk office politics with her co-worker. With my patience having been thoroughly exhausted I abruptly left the office in frustration.

I could not help but think to myself, "There goes ten minutes of my life I'll never get back." Not exactly the greatest Customer Experience by any measure of the term.

Here is the point of my story: phone etiquette is important in all situations. Many employee team members, especially receptionists, interact regularly with Customers both in person and over the phone. It is important to balance these two obligations to ensure that all Customers receive the best service possible.

The following are four suggestions I have for improving receptionist etiquette that were inspired by my recent Customer Experience.

1. Always remember that the Customer comes first. When speaking with co-workers, whether about work related topics or not, serving the Customer is always the most important task at hand. Politely let your co-worker know that you have to take care of the Customer who is waiting and that you can resume the conversation afterwards.



2. Be sure to acknowledge a waiting Customer so they do not feel forgotten about. This is important both when serving Customers on the phone as well as in person. If a Customer is waiting to be served or is on hold, check in with them periodically to let them know that you will be with them as soon as possible. This will go a long way in keeping a waiting Customer from becoming frustrated and will ultimately make your job easier.



3. Handle short tasks and questions promptly. When checking in with a Customer who is waiting to be served or is on hold, ask about the nature of their call -- if it something that can be resolved quickly ask the other Customer or caller's permission to put them on hold and quickly take care of the other task. This is especially important when engaged in a Customer interaction that is likely to take a considerable amount of time to resolve.



4. As much as possible, keep personal matters and gossip out of the workplace. I am not so naïve as to think that personal matters and gossip will not make their way into the workplace, but make an effort to keep conversations work-related at all times. Even if there are no Customers waiting to be served other Customers may be nearby and using proper receptionist etiquette will ensure them of the professional nature of your firm.

The bottom line is that receptionists must be aware of the potential interactions they are having with a Customer and focus on maximizing the Customer's Experience during each of these interactions. Proper receptionist phone etiquette is important not only when speaking with a Customer on the phone, but also when Customers are present in an organization's physical place of business.

Remember… The Customer always comes first!

Interested in learning more about improving the level of receptionist phone etiquette in your organization? Give us a call or fill out our online form to request more information today!

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