Are You Firing Customers Before You Hire Them?

By Summer Smart

If your business relies on incoming calls as your primary interface mechanism between you and customers, it is crucial to have the right person answering phones. Whether you have a designated receptionist or the task is shared between your office personnel, the key is to make sure your team is always treating those potential and existing customers like gold.

Additionally, your telephone interactions are the front door to your business. For many, phone calls are the primary source of new sales leads for people to verify service offerings, compare pricing, and schedule appointments. If your telephone etiquette and, more importantly, people skills are not on point, this is most certainly negatively affecting your business.

I recently called to make an appointment at a local business, but the interaction I had with the receptionist was so bad that I changed my mind about going there and made an appointment somewhere else. My reasoning behind this was simple; I couldn’t justify spending my hard-earned money at a place that was going to treat me poorly out of the gate. The organization with the bad receptionist lost my business before they ever had it. I never had the chance to see if they had a great product because the receptionist closed the door on me.

If you are a business owner or manager, I encourage you to examine this aspect of your business. If you have other personnel in your midst warning you of receptionist issues, consider that feedback and investigate it for yourself. The scary truth is this: if you have a negative, uninspired, unmotivated, unhappy person greeting customers day in and day out, you are losing business. The phone is the gateway to your business; make sure the door remains open with an inviting and responsive atmosphere at all times.