Seth Godin makes a great point about receptionists. It pays to make every step of a customer’s experience remarkable. Receptionists are your advance team who make impressions on your clients very early in the sales process. Sometimes this interaction is enough to make or break the whole relationship.
Another way to look at it: think about the other items on the front lines of your customer experience — business cards, letterhead, packaging, and the like. Do you spend as much time and careful consideration making sure your receptionist is as unique and personal as your business card? And I’m not talking about someone with the basic social skills to work at Any Office USA. I’m talking about someone with personality and funk who embodies what it’s like to be in business with you.
