Front Desk — More Than a Receptionist?
April 30th, 2009 • Posted by Ana Loiselle-Donahue • Permalink
The big question – should your front desk person be more then someone who answers the phone? YES!!, I say!
The front desk, seems to be for many salon & spa owners, one of those places that gets overlooked. As, a coach you don't know how many times I hear, "I can't afford to pay them very much", or "No, we don't have any formal training program for them." 'Them', it's as if the front desk people are the lost children of the salon/spa world. The out casts, the ugly step-children.
But THEY are one of the most important people working for you. They are the growth driver of your business. Miss that point and you miss out on lost sales every year! OK, so you hear me loud and clear – but you ask, "How do I turn this position into the profit center it should be?"
First, you must move beyond traditional 'receptionist' thinking into the high-performance realm of a growth driver — with the focus on efficient booking, up-selling, customer satisfaction and productivity. The front desk person is responsible for efficiently selling your service hours, first and foremost. On the phone, they are the voice of your business. They are to up-sell and close retail sales. They are the front line for generating lucrative gift certificate sales. They are the first and last point of contact for every client visit. Turning the front desk into the mega-hitter it's suppose to be requires the following steps:
- Change your mind set about this position – in how it can and will grow your company.
- Have a thorough job description for the position that details this person's role in growing your company.
- Hire people who can do the job — not just someone who can answer the phone.
- Train, TRain, TRAin, TRAIn and TRAIN! and;
- Put systems into place that hold the front desk accountable for getting those appointment pages full.
Most salons and spa don't talk about the front desk as a focal point for growth and yet, in order for your company to grow there must be a shift toward this.
With almost 10 years experience in new business start-ups and transformations, Ana Loiselle-Donahue is a specialist in finding new sources of revenue and growth for companies of all sizes. She founded theSECRET in 2004 to help businesses flourish through creative — and powerful — new solutions; including brand development, strategic financial planning and employee training. Mrs. Loiselle-Donahue can be reached at 866.288.7353 or Ana@TheSecretConsultant.com Check out her Blog!
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Thank You!!!
Thank you for the post!
Great article. I do believe the receptionist position is THE hardest job out of all the positions in the spa. I am blessed the have my mom covering that position and it doesn't take long for the other girls in the spa to really appreciate what she does if she takes a day off. Keep up the good work. I find your articles are really helpful.
Fantastic article! Many people overlook this very vital part of your spa! The receptionist is the eyes, ears and voice of your spa! First impressions are the lasting ones, and the receptionist is the FIRST person your clients encounter.
Oooops! Ugh! Just realized today was the 4th and you guys sent an email out to my customers that I did not fix! I really do not like the term "wellness" and it was all over that email… darn it… it implies you have to be sick to see us… darn it… I will have to be more diligent!
Re: Receptionist… very true. Always hire a smiley, happy person… it comes through on the phone… you have to be a great salesperson and a good conversationalist and able to juggle the schedule when there is a change… all with a big smile and a "no problem, we can do it" kind of attitude. Very important!!
J.
In our experience hiring someone that is skilled to help grow the business has hurt us. It turns into a power struggle between following our specific system rules or doing whatever they think is best. In the end they last about 3-5 months and we are looking for someone else. We are to the point where all we want is someone to answer the phones, and leave the technical stuff to us.
I have to say that the above post is sad because if you hire the right person they will stay with you and you can create a plan for them to grow with your company. Receptionist position is the most important position of your company and if "I" could, I would perform this position myself. When structured properly this position should be the highest paid and most respected. The biggest mistake spas or hair salons make is hiring young receptionist and thinking their business will survive and flourish. Seriously?!
I agree with your article wholeheartedly. The front desk is the operations center and helps employees stay focused on excellent customer service and technical results. Both the Spa Director (me) and the Operations Manager are actively engaged in selling services and managing customer relationships as part of "booking."
Jessie after reading your post I can't help but wonder if they were really there to help you run your company or were they planning a take over? That happens too! It's finding that mix of someone who shares your passion and direction and is a great "co-pilot." They are out there! When you find one — hold on tightly! Sorry that happened to you. –J
Do you think a salon should spend money on a receptionist?