Author: Judi Newman

Part 2 of 5:  Don't Undervalue Your Receptionist

There's no doubt that more business has been lost because of poor service and poor treatment than because of poor product. Yet, it doesn't take any extra time or money to treat people with grace and courtesy, and in many industries, especially insurance, quality of service is one of the few variables that can distinguish a business from its competition. Part 2 of 5 explains why your receptionist is the most important PR person in the agency.

Your #1 Public Relations Person: Your Receptionist

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 better-trained and better-paid than is usually the case. Count 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 often taken for granted.

To perform the job well, a receptionist truly needs to be a "people" person, be willing to help others, be emotionally mature, not be easily rattled by callers who are less than courteous, and have a pleasant speaking voice with good grammar and diction. She (a receptionist can be male or female, of course) must have a good working knowledge of the agency operation and of insurance in general. If you and your staff treat your receptionist with respect; if you treat her as part of the agency team; if you give her the training and information she needs to do her job; if you pay her well and recognize her significant contribution to overall operations; you're likely to cultivate a skilled public relations professional who happens to sit at the front desk.

Your Entire Staff is on the Telephone Team, and Your Receptionist is the Quarterback

Forgive yet another sports analogy, but your receptionist is only the quarterback on your telephone football team. It's important that she begin the play with a good snap, but what happens after she hands off the call to an agent or CSR is just as important. Quarterbacks may call the shots, but they rarely make the touchdowns. Everyone in the agency must be committed to and trained in professional telephone manners, as illustrated in the 13 telephone tips we outline in this article.

Consider the Receptionist's Desk as Communications Central

The receptionist's desk should also be considered communications central. In other words, she needs to know when someone is out of the office and when they expect to return. She needs to know when client or staff conferences make it necessary to hold calls and take messages for certain people. She needs to know when an important client is expected to arrive, so she can greet him/her personally. It's not a case of "big sister" watching over everyone; it's a case of the receptionist having the information she needs to treat callers and visitors quickly and with courtesy.

Some telephone systems make this task easier for everyone. With "out" and "do not disturb" options, for instance, we can communicate with the receptionist at the touch of a button. That is, if we understand the importance of doing so and develop this good habit.

We said that in order to instill good telephone techniques, you need a set of specific, written guidelines. Here is what we suggest....

Copyright 2000 by Phaze II Consulting, Inc. Used with permission.