Acknowledge Valuable Lessons from Your Receptionist

Consider what your typical business day would be like without the much appreciated services of your receptionist. The receptionist is usually the first face that people see when walking into your business; this person takes care of the never-ending stream of incoming phone calls – and deals with the not-so-pleasant callers.

In a recent article from Inc.com, author Issie Lapowsky boasts the importance and necessity of a great receptionist. Your receptionist not only functions as the company’s filter – Lapowsky notes that this valuable employee may know more about the inner workings of your company than you give them credit for.

As the gatekeepers of your company, receptionists know more than just how to make a good first impression.

The article discloses what a few seasoned front-desk veterans know – that you might not have known:

1. What your body language says about you: Karen Vassal says she’s become a body language expert in her 23 years working as a receptionist. She says, “You have to know who employees want to see and who they can’t see at the moment.”

2. Who’s driving interest into your business: A receptionist can give you some idea of when your salespeople are doing something right based on how many callers ask to speak to them in a given week.

3. What issues you’re having: The receptionist gets the most up-to-the-minute feedback on what persistent issues need to be addressed.

4. Who’s a team player: Your receptionist is, in essence, “chained to the desk” –  who are the employees that volunteer to cover a lunch hour or deliver a package or help out in some way?

5. What employee morale is like: The front desk, in many places, acts as a psychiatrist’s couch, where employees go to vent. Here you get the most honest opinion of how employees feel about their work.

Now, when you walk in each morning, and you get a welcoming smile – know that the face greeting your company’s publics is more than just a body to fill a chair and answer phones. That receptionist probably knows quite a few things you don’t. And it’s a gold mine resource waiting to be tapped. There are more than etiquette lessons to be learned from this crucial employee – to learn more about the vitality of your receptionist, read the full article here.

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