This bite size training covers some skills and tactics for difficult situations you may come across on reception – for example upset clients, and clients who are unhappy with the service.
It should take less than 30 minutes to work through on screen.
This bite size training covers how clients may be feeling when they use reception, and gives you opportunities to start thinking about what situations you may find challenging.
It should take less than 30 minutes to work through on screen.
You always need to show understanding towards clients and remember the kind of situations that have resulted them in coming to your agency. This was covered in the bite size ‘Understanding clients’.
1. The need to feel welcome
If a client feels like an outsider, they will think twice about using the service. Clients need to feel that they are in the right place and that their problem is important to your agency.
They may show this by looking around when they first enter, dressing very smartly, staying back and observing what is happening, making a quick exit. They may have experienced obstruction or rudeness from other agencies.
2. The need to be understood
Clients need to feel that they are able to express themselves adequately, both their words and their feelings.
They may show this by repeating themselves, speaking slowly or speaking loudly, getting frustrated when they are not understood or bringing a friend or relative to help explain.
This is a particular issue or need for clients who are not fluent in English or who have a hearing or speech impairment.
Always remember that clients coming to your agency for the first time don’t know what to expect and may be feeling very nervous.
It is easy to become complacent and forget this, so notice your own feelings when you are visiting a building or an agency for the first time.
3. The need for ‘comfort’
Clients need physical comfort, a place to wait.
This is part of the need to be assured that they will be taken care of properly, and having confidence that your agency will meet their needs.
They may show discomfort by being ill at ease, nervous or unsure of themselves. They may be reluctant to say who they are or anything about their problem.
If sitting is uncomfortable, they may choose to stand or even walk about.
Clients are often coping with life changes, personal loss, long drawn out disputes, living on a low income, or obstacles being put in their way. These difficult events may have been spread over a long period of time.
As a result they may come to your agency with many different kinds of emotions. Here are some that reception workers and advisers say are quite common:
Never forget that clients are often going through very difficult times. Their feelings about their problem may be directed at you as the first person they meet; it’s not personal. It’s sometimes difficult for clients to keep their feelings under wraps.
Before we leave this subject, think about yourself. Grab a piece of paper and spend two or three minutes writing down some thoughts about the following questions:
Everybody reacts differently – the important thing to remember is that clients bring all sorts of feelings and emotions, some of which you can relate to, others you may find more difficult.
The occupational hazard for experienced reception staff is to forget and ignore what clients may be feeling.
or most clients, their problem is the most important issue and many do not have any views about your agency. For a minority, however much they want to resolve their problem, they may have some negative feelings about coming to your agency.
Clients may be anxious, particularly if they have had bad experiences at other agencies.
Think about a time when you have visited an ‘official agency’ for the first time, and from that experience identify three concerns someone might have the first time they come to your agency.
See below for suggestions from advice agency workers.
The kind of client concerns that advice workers have identified include:
Clients who have been to your agency before will know the score and understand your role; new clients will not have this prior knowledge.
Client surveys show that many think that advisers are solicitors or experts, while others feel that advice workers are ‘do gooders’. There is little understanding that advice agency workers come from all walks of life.
People’s expectation of you may be based on their experience of reception staff in other agencies (doctors, schools, the council etc).
Some clients will assume that you are an adviser and will start explaining the details of their problem with no embarrassment about revealing personal information in public.
Whatever prior assumptions a client may have, if they get an efficient reception delivered in an approachable way, they are likely to be content.
You will be surprised by some clients who casually reveal major problems and other clients who are devastated by what you might consider to be minor problems. You do not have to agree with the client’s view, but you do have to accept it as their view.
To treat clients with respect means:
Clients are from all sections of the community and this is what makes work on reception so interesting. However, it is so easy to make assumptions based on a lack of understanding, unthinking stereotypes or perhaps on our own lifestyle. From assumptions we can easily begin to make judgements.
Whilst recognising potential differences, you need to be aware that clients from outside your own community are not all the same and may not all have the same views and beliefs, nor do they behave in the same manner.
We look at some specifics to watch out for.
When you first meet someone you may form an impression based on the way they act, their dress, their accent etc. However, you have to be aware that these clues can be misleading.
The client was a well-dressed man in his 60s. By his accent and manners you would assume that he was quite affluent. The problem was that one of the soles on a pair of shoes which he bought six weeks before was coming apart from its upper.
The shop had agreed to send them back for testing. This is part of the industry code and is normal practice. The adviser felt that this was the right approach, but the client was very unwilling to agree.
After some discussion it emerged that the client was on benefits and these were his only pair of shoes, making the seemingly obvious solution to the problem impractical.
You do need to make some kind of judgement about a client’s capability (with great care). For example, if a client looks doubtful when you hand them the client details form to complete, what might this mean?
They may be fed up with having to write down their details yet again, or it may indicate a possible literacy problem. If you are not sure, offer to help if they get stuck, and keep an eye on how they are doing.
Some clients will have impaired mobility, hearing impairments, mental health problems etc. Some of these will be visible, some will not.
In some cases the fact that the person is disabled, or their particular impairment, may be relevant to their problem, and sometimes it will not be relevant. It is important that you are careful not to make assumptions about a client based on their illness or impairment
Having a secure income brings a set of expectations and assumptions. Many clients have low incomes or are in a situation where their income is about to drop. Having a low income can mean a different set of priorities and issues.
Stereotypes abound about gender, sexuality, race and nationality. It is for this reason that there is anti-discrimination legislation, and most advice agencies have equalities and diversity policies.
Most clients are very grateful for the advice and getting help with their problem.
However, some situations cause reception workers difficulties. Some of these are listed below and there is a companion bite size, ‘Reception – difficult situations’ that looks at them in more detail.
Clients with an emergency
Clients will sometimes say that they need to see an adviser straight away. Is there a procedure for some clients to be interviewed quickly?
Clients with unreasonable expectations
Some clients expect that their problem should be sorted there and then and want to see the manager if their wishes are not met.
Clients who don’t want to be a bother
There are a small number of clients who feel that they might be wasting ‘busy people’s time’. They may say that they will come back later as the agency is busy. You should encourage them to stay, but give a realistic waiting time in case they have some difficulty waiting.
Clients who are rude or patronising
Try to stay calm, be courteous and polite. Don’t rise to the bait. After they have left, it’s OK to go into the general office and ‘let off steam’!
Clients who feel threatening
Again try to stay calm and polite, but that doesn’t mean ‘being a doormat’. You can refuse to deal with someone if you feel at all threatened or bullied. When this happens, you should seek help – hopefully safety arrangements have been agreed.
Clients with a complaint
Next time you come into your agency, imagine you are a client who has never been there before. Ask yourself these questions:
Now sit down and imagine you will have to wait for 30 minutes.
What would you change? There will be some changes that will need permission from your manager, but there are other things you can just do. Why not repeat this exercise every six months?
To put any of these right may need resources, so you need to talk to your manager.
Why not write an assessment of the waiting area suggesting changes and ask to get costings for making the changes? If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
You and the reception team can probably decide and just change some things.
Take 5 minutes at the end of every session to tidy up the leaflets.
Why not have a major spring clean of information every six months?
Creating a good atmosphere should mean that clients will be in a better frame of mind, making it easier for you to communicate with them and deal with any problems.
In the bite size training Skills for helping clients we look at:
In each section we include tips and techniques from experienced reception staff as well as some common pitfalls.
We hope you found this useful.
That’s the end of this bite size training. We hope you found it useful.
The other bite size training in this series include:
