UNIT201 CREATE & MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.

1. UNIT201 CREATE & MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS. Element 2: Receiving And Assisting Visitors. • Receiving visitors is one of the most important duties that you will perform for your organisation.

2. However you deal with these visitors, whether they are internal, external, expected or unexpected, it is essential that you should always maintain a degree of professionalism to maintain standards and ensure security. • The visitor’s impression of the organisation that you work for is created by the people as much as the environment.

3. First impressions are considered to be the most important impression that are left with us and creating a good first impression is vital. • Many companies have recognised the importance of creating a good impression and have developed detailed procedures for dealing with visitors.

4. All too often procedures become so familiar to you that you forget why they were created and what they are intended to achieve. • You are the primary sales point for the rest of the organisation. The way in which you deal with people, internally as well as externally, can make all the difference. Greeting people is very important, as is assisting them.

5. You need to balance their needs and see that they are matched with the appropriate person, product or service. • Most of the time the service we give and receive is adequate. If the service falls below expected norms a complaint may be made, if you are lucky. • From a complaint it is possible to learn a lot and improve the level of service.

6. Compliments come from service that exceeds expectations and must therefore be exceptional. • Hence the fact that you are much more likely to receive letters of complaint then letters of compliment.

7. There are some simple rules that should always be followed to ensure that the service given to visitors fulfils both their needs and the needs of the organisation. All visitors should be: • Greeted promptly. • The nature of their business established. • Directed to the appropriate people, products or services within the organisation promptly. • Any difficulties should be acknowledged and assistance sought from the most appropriate person.

8. Promoting Business. • It is important that you know about the products that your organisation offers. An example of this is the different menus offered in each restaurant of your hotel. • Information about the types of ingredients in certain dishes. Information about the restaurant’s menu, specials, opening times should be to hand. Equally important is the need to direct visitors or customers to the correct facility or person.

9. When someone arrives at your reception desk. • You need to be familiar with your organisation’s procedures. • You should be able to promote the facilities of the hotel, by being familiar with what your organisation has to offer. • You should have a knowledge of the local area, tourist attractions and transportation.

10. Promoting the services and products of your organisation is good for business. You should always recognise this when dealing with both internal and external customers. • It is that business that keeps everyone in employment at all levels within the organisation. • Knowing about the place where you work is good for business and also has many benefits for you, the organisation and the customer:

11. The Benefits for You: • It makes you feel part of the organisation that you work in. • It allows you to act professionally. • It creates good team spirit. The Benefits for Your Organisation: • It creates a good impression for customers. • It maintains security. • It is cost effective. • It promotes sales.

12. The Benefits for the Customer: • It creates a good first impression. • The external customer is likely to return, the internal customer is likely to be more helpful towards you when you need some help, information or a product. • They are likely to return or contact you again.

13. Routine Enquiries. • Most of the time the enquiries that you receive will be routine, those which form most of your working contact with people. One example of this would be directing people to other parts of the organisation. • For this you would clearly need to know the layout of your place of work and the best way to reach different areas.

14. You must also be aware of any routine policies that your organisation may have, for example if you saw the Birdseye delivery man is seen chatting to the new female trainee chef. Later in the day he asks you for her mobile telephone number. What should you do?

15. Confidentiality is very important. You must be careful not to divulge confidential information about staff, guests or company information. If in doubt you should always check.

16. Complex Enquiries. • You are likely to have to deal with people in many complex situations; angry, upset, aggressive, drunk or distressed visitors. There may be procedures for dealing with problem situations, for example aggressive customers or emergency situations.

17. You need to check whether there are such procedures in place and what the procedure or policy states you should do. Where they do not exist, the following points should provide some guidance.

18. Always try to stay calm. • Try to move an angry customer away to a quiet area. • If they are angry, let them have their say – this time will allow you to think. • Try to identify what their needs are.

19. Don’t argue – in fact try to speak softly, but be firm. This will have several effects; first it is likely to calm them down and secondly it is more difficult to argue with someone when they are speaking softly. • Acknowledge your own difficulties as quickly as possible and seek help from the most appropriate person within the organisation.

20. Health, Safety And Security. • Security is becoming an increasing problem for organisations. With fewer people employed, large areas are left unattended. Wherever you work, because it is visited by numerous problems, it is very difficult to control access.

21. Many catering organisations, e.g. hotels, have a large number of exits, so the maintenance of security is compromised again. It is therefore important that any person entering your place of work is challenged about why they are there and what they want.

22. You should make sure that you are familiar with any laid-down procedures, since in any of these circumstances you need to react quickly. Being familiar with the procedure help because you do not have to think of a solution.

23. Most of the time in these situations you will refer the matter to the appropriate line manager. However, there may be occasions when that person is not available. In this situation your knowledge of the company structure is vital, so that you can contact the next most appropriate person.

24. Dealing With Emergencies. There are a few basic steps that you should try to follow in any emergency situation. • Do not panic. Try to stay clam. • Try to think about the situation; if you feel it is beyond your control, contact someone who can help quickly, before the situation gets out of hand.

25. Always try to speak calmly, to avoid panic in others. • Try to use the procedures that your organisation has developed; they are there to help. • The best preparation is knowledge do you need to make sure that you know your job well and that you understand your role and how that fits with your and other people’s responsibilities.