There are many things that are vital to the success of any business. Having the right product is probably a good start. Knowing who your competitors are would be high on your list of priorities for any good start-up. But how high on the list would customer service be?
When you think about it, service is what brings your customers back because they liked buying from you. So why would you not place it as a priority for the development of your business?
One of the first things to get cut during any economic uncertainty is training and the investment in people. Those businesses that continue to develop their teams and don’t cut training budgets find they come out of a downturn in a stronger position than their competitors. With the post Brexit mood looking like an economic slow-down could happen in the last quarter of 2016, businesses should start to look forward and plan accordingly.
The general view has suggested a slow-down could be a short term one. Good news then for the UK’s businesses looking for some positive signs amid the negative headlines.
A Smile is Priceless
As you walk in to a serviced office reception for the first time one of the most important things that will happen will be the welcome you receive from the person at the desk. The single most important role in any business centre is probably the receptionist. They are generally the first and last person most people visiting or working there see and interact with. So why would you have anyone who wasn’t fully trained in the role? The short answer is you wouldn’t.
For most locations across the UK the receptionist can be the reason why clients leave or stay. Investment in front-line staff training could therefore be the difference between low or high occupancy rates. With many locations welcoming meeting room clients as well as their office clients, receptionists can be very busy. Maintaining that important smile can become difficult when people are placed under pressure. Retailers have long understood the importance of increasing staff numbers at busy times to cover the tills and fitting rooms. Answering customer queries at busy times is often given priority over other tasks.
The same is true of serviced office business centres in London and across the UK. There are peaks and troughs throughout the day. How someone see’s the service you provide could be down to something as simple as waiting for several minutes to sign in without being acknowledged. That’s why a smile is priceless. Receptionists can say a lot to waiting clients without uttering a single word.
The Power of a Warm Customer Service Welcome
Any business will tell you that assumptions are made in the first few minutes, when someone makes contact for the first time. Businesses are only as good as their people. Generally, we form an opinion about people that we meet from a business in a few seconds. We have a view about the business based on that one individual. So the power of the warm welcome is vital to set the right first impression.
According to the Institute of Customer Service, customer service is at its lowest point since 2011, which means clients and customers are keener than ever to receive great customer service. With expectations high, many customers often feel disappointed when businesses they engage with just don’t understand their needs. So getting team members to be able to ask the right questions to provide the right service is more vital than ever before.
(Read the Institute of Customer Service article HERE)
A positive Brexit Outlook
As business confidence wobbles across many sectors, companies need to hold on to their current clients and customers by investing in training to help protect client retention. The quality of the service and how their calls are answered, can make all the difference when clients look for cost savings themselves.
The difference they see in costs between their current office space and a new location could be down to the quality of the staff. Business centre’s who continue to train their teams to a high standard could be less likely to see retention rates decrease as Brexit starts to bite.
About the Author
Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.