FRONT OF HOUSE
who delivers that all important friendly, personal touch.
A key part of delivering this is empowering your FOH. Today’s clients are used to being given a solution right away. Failing to offer this can often lead to feelings of frustration and the perception that they’ve been let down.
The simple solution is to ensure your FOH team is able to help. After all, those on the front desk are the people who will usually have the most interaction with your customers and be their first point of contact if they need reassurance or assistance.
Not only will this please clients by providing a fast and efficient service, but it will also motivate staff to go that extra mile, and in turn, offer clients the best possible experience at every touch point.
UNDERSTAND YOUR
STAFFING LEVELS In a recent analysis of calls, Moneypenny identified that its large business clients are missing the most calls midweek. In particular, it found that receptionists working for these companies were busiest at 10am on a Wednesday – followed by Thursday and Tuesday mornings.
This suggests that many of Britain’s FOH provisions are under-resourced at these times. More often than not it’s because they’re unaware of the high volume of calls they are receiving during these periods – and they’re not
alone. It’s something we see time and time again when we speak to small and large companies alike. Accurately pinpointing the exact periods that you’re busiest is incredibly hard, and the majority of the time, the perception of this is very different to the reality. We offer clients a monthly report that analyses their call patterns, and without exception the results always come as a surprise.
Understanding what’s happening in your front of house is essential. Without seeing this ‘bigger picture’ it’s impossible to ensure you have the correct resources in place to meet your customers’ needs. This could lead to missed calls, lost revenue and the inability to correctly measure the ROI on your front of house spend – not to mention prevent you from offering the first class customer experience you’re striving to achieve.
EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY A few months ago I heard the
following quote: “The illiterate of the 21st century aren’t those who cannot read and write, but are those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
A sobering thought, but one that is difficult to disagree with. We certainly live in a society that is constantly evolving. From self-driving cars and digital assistants to smartphones and 3D printers, the rate and range of technological innovation is staggering. That’s the reality - and trends, consumer expectations, workplace practices and technology
will continue to move on; with or without those who are unwilling to move with them. So how can FMs navigate this change? There is no right or wrong answer, but a simple litmus test is asking whether the technology is appropriate.
Will it improve your clients’ experience, for instance? Will it enhance accuracy or efficiency? Is it able to open up new revenue streams? These are the cornerstones of any business model and should form the foundations of your decision. In the world of telephone answering we’ve found our FM clients are increasingly moving to a hybrid approach that blends the best of both real people and tech.
Most companies still prefer high value calls to be answered by a real receptionist. But, for less valuable calls – like internal enquiries or sales calls – they are progressively opting for our Digital Switchboard service. This uses clever speech recognition to automatically route callers to where they want to go, thereby speeding up the process for both internal and external customers who know who they want to speak to and don’t need the assistance of a receptionist.
Consequently, this frees up the time of your FOH team and ensures you’re ready to roll out the red carpet for clients at every turn. In a competitive market, striving for the exceptional will give you a valuable point of difference.
www.moneypenny.com
www.tomorrowsfm.com
TOMORROW’S FM | 45
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