Topic 5 - Responding to Client Enquiries

Responding to client enquiries may include:

Now tryActivity I

Factors that promote an enterprise.

 

Now tryActivity J

Fine -Tuning your Communication Skills

 

Once you have mastered the effective communication skills of questioning, listening and using appropriate body language, you can improve on your ability to respond to client enquiry by:

 

1	2	3

 

 

1. Anticipating Enquiries

 

When a person is new to a job, it is hard to anticipate problems before they occur. Experience and knowledge of the business will develop this skill. It fine-tunes problem solving skills.

Now tryTask 6

2. Redirecting Enquiries

 

As the receptionist, Victoria needs to know a lot about the business.

 

Now tryActivity K

Activity K demonstrated that in most cases you will need to redirect an enquiry to someone else in the business - they have expertise and knowledge to deal with the enquiry. Occasionally, you will be able to respond on basic matters eg. checking the time of an appointment.

 

What should Victoria do when responding to an enquiry, when she is uncertain of the answer?

Now tryActivity L

3. Following Up on Enquiries - this may be written or verbal

 

If follow up action is required through written correspondence this should be recorded in the outwards mail register eg. a client may request the latest price list. It is easy for the receptionist to respond to this immediately, by sending the price list to the client. This action would appear un the ACTION TAKEN column of the register.

 

Follow-up action can come in many forms. For example:

• sending material requested by people outside the business.

• responding to requests from inside the business. eg. finding a file.

• checking that problems have been resolved eg. a missing cheque has been sent.

• jogging staff member's memories, to make sure that the client has been dealt with.

• making a phone call, sending an email or fax, sending a letter.

• not leaving clients waiting too long - either on the phone or in the reception area. Checking to see what the hold up is and keeping the client informed.

• making a personal visit.

• writing messages on a message pad then distributing these to staff promptly.

 

Now tryTask 7

NB Task 7 is the last exercise for this unit - Provide Information to Clients