The first contact when entering an office is established with the security guard, the party table manager and the receptionist. For this reason, these people must be aware that the initial good or bad image that we will take will depend on their appearance and treatment. It is important that they enjoy conditions and qualities for customer service.
In this note we will refer to the receptionist who is, without a doubt, from whom the client expects, essentially, kindness and courtesy. It is recommended to have an excellent appearance, adequate clothing, discreet hairstyle, simple makeup (if you are a woman) and the ability to cater to audiences of different ages, backgrounds and interests. Her voice will be pleasant and clear, with optimal pronunciation and her behavior will be characterized by her cordial manners.
Your desk will look neat and clean. You need to be upright and eager to resolve queries. Do not show your "teeth" to the reluctance of greeting. A receptionist slumped in her chair, chatting on the phone (obviously on a personal call), reading a newspaper, or "chatting" online makes a bad impression. And, if it were not enough, eating and retouching.
The label expert Margot McCloskey Colón in her interesting book "Label for professionals" indicates various guidelines: "… Receive visitors with a smile and with evident pleasure; Help the visitor in her management with kindness, but do not give superfluous information; by reporting the visitor's arrival by phone; point the way to the visitor in a simple way to make sure they understand you; do not receive or make personal calls, if necessary, be very brief; don't smoke, eat or drink in your work area. ”
Here are some other recommendations. If you announce the visitor's presence and it takes more than ten minutes for him to pass, take the initiative and call the person concerned again. Do not be indifferent, as countless times happens, in the face of this delay. Please kindly report the reason for the delay and offer him a magazine or newspaper. I evoke the words of the English philosopher and politician Francis Bacon: "Behaviors, like illnesses, spread from one to the other. " Share your example of professionalism with your classmates.
A point no less valuable and timely in a society marked by enormous differences and marginalizations: It must not exhibit discriminatory and rude treatment, nor show excessive confidence. I often observe, to my amazement, the "careful" attention to an attractive potential client of the opposite sex or to her friends. The same does not happen with someone of humble origin.
I know companies in which the counter ladies are, "coincidentally", relatives or recommended by their owners and have the sole "merit" of their physical appearance, which brings to mind the phrase: "The false usually disguises itself as beautiful." However, her performance is deplorable. They like to talk on the phone with their lovers, they laugh boisterously, they eat chewing gum, they receive personal visits, they fix their nails, they do not wear their work uniform correctly, they sit on the desk and, for their very little, they make "jokes" in the presence from outside the company. Everything described above proves the deficiencies and subjectivities in the selection criteria of these personnel.
Very important: refer to all of you and saying sir, madam and your last names. It is not correct to protect the young or minor visitor of social status, as occurs even in educational institutions where the protection has become an “incurable virus”. Avoid kisses in the office even when, as my teacher Carolina Mujica aptly referred, "Peru is a besodromo." Her treatment will always be polite and sober, away from "creole" gestures of familiarity (such as using diminutives, nicknames, etc.).
Maintaining calm and serenity is a requirement of the receptionist. You need to be aware of being thoughtful even at critical moments and understand when to speak and when to be silent. Do not become the bearer of the "latest news". Caution inspires respect and credibility, don't forget.
Finally, institutions must consider the importance of training and evaluating the performance of these people. Its favorable development can increase the sales of its products or services, as well as influence the mood of its visiting public. Attend with care and enthusiasm, and also keep in mind: "Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows their image."
