OFFICE PROCEDURES
Prepared by Maria Asuncion
11 of 14
Critical thinking activity (p. 215)
[6th possible entry to ePortfolio]
• Using the decision-making model presented earlier,
describe the problem and the steps you would take
to assist the others in filing and managing their
records
• What suggestions would you make to the records
manager?
• Send your document to
[email protected]• Example:
Chapter 12: Customer Focus
• Most businesses aim to make profit, but with that
in mind, they need to prioritize customer service
• Customer service: the ability of an organization to
consistently give customers what they need AND
what they want
• Successful businesses are committed to
providing the best customer service
• Customer focus: committed to providing high-
quality customer service to all their customers
• Top 10 Canadian Companies for Customer Service
article link:
https://globalnews.ca/news/2791298/10-companies-with-the-best-customer-
service-in-canada/
video link: https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/717795395943/?jwsource=cl
or https://tinyurl.com/ch12video
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
Professionalism (p. 219)
• As a professional, a significant part of your day-
to-day activities will involve interacting with
external customers or clients as well as with
members of your own organization (internal
customers)
• Good communication skills in your personal
interactions are an important aspect of projecting
a positive image of your company
Self-Check (p. 219)
[7th possible entry to ePortfolio]
• Answer the statements. Your scenarios do not
have to involve a receptionist; you can also write
about customer service representatives or simply,
employees
• Send your document to
[email protected]
• Example: tinyurl.com/mariaex219
External customers (p. 219)
• Everyone within an organization has a role to play
in developing an environment that is focused on
the customer or client
• The most recognized external customers of a
business are the people or other businesses that
buy or use the products and services provided by
the organization
• Supervisor’s guest preferences include:
• Who will be seen immediately regardless of how
busy it is
• For example: VIP (very important people) clients
• Whether friends or relatives should be included
in this group
• Whether there are certain people your
supervisor will not see under any circumstances
• For example: uninvited solicitors
• How to handle job applicants or sales
representatives
• For example: you can send applicants to HR
• When introductions should be made for visitors
new to the office
• For example: visitors have to sign their names, date
and time of their visit, and the reason why they’re
there
• Lastly, whether a particular time of day is set
aside for seeing visitors
Dealing with external customers
• Greeting the visitor – the receptionist usually
handles the greetings, but as a professional, you
also need to make the client feel welcome
• Greet the clients graciously and use their names
if you know them, because everyone appreciates
being called by name, which shows that you care
• Be sure to introduce yourself by name and title;
e.g., “I’m Pat from Accounting” or “I’m Sam, the
payroll assistant in this department”
Purpose of the visit (p. 220)
• Your initial greeting can be “Good morning (or
afternoon). How may I help you?” The question
suggests that the guest will say their purpose
• If the guest does not give the purpose right away,
you should still AVOID blunt questions, such as:
• What is your name?
• What do you want?
• Where do you work?
Making the wait pleasant (p. 221)
• While the guest waits, it’s important to make sure
that they’re not inconveniently wasting time
• Try to make them comfortable, so their wait is
pleasant; try offering reading materials or drinks
• However, make sure you return to work after
asking the guest if they need anything while they
wait
Remembering names & faces (p. 221)
• The following are some points that will help you
learn and remember names:
• Listen carefully to the person’s name when it is
said
• If you do not understand, ask for the person to
repeat it politely
• Use the name when you first learn it
• Use the name again before the person leaves
• Ask the person for a business card
Handling the difficult visitor (p. 222)
• Some guests will be difficult to speak to, so try to
defuse (or lessen) their anger by:
• Listening
• Empathizing
• Questioning
• Apologizing
Dealing with abusive visitors (p. 222)
• Look for points of agreement with the angry
customers and make sure to voice your
agreements
• Try to help solve the problem with the customer, if
you can
• Many companies have their own policies on how to
handle difficult or abusive situations with
customers, especially when on the phone
Maintaining a customer focus (p. 223)
• Showing respect for customers
• “The customer is always right” is a common saying,
but customers are not always correct
• Still you should show that you are attentive to their
concerns, needs or desires
• Seeking customer input
• An effective customer focus strategy is asking for
customer feedback; they can solve a problem in a
different perspective that you may not have thought
of
• Taking responsibility
• When you or your company makes a mistake, the
key is to apologize quickly and then solve the
problem, so that you won’t make the same mistake
• Explaining the situation
• Speak clearly and fully to your clients
• Do not assume they know all of the information
• Ask questions to see that they understand
• Following up on the issue: check with clients after
Internal customers (p. 224)
• Internal customers: the departments or
employees within an organization who use the
products or services provided by others within the
organization
• Effective internal customer service is essential
because it involves the relationships between
managers, employees, associates and peers
• Greeting, small talk and being polite are key
actions to make when focusing on internal
customers
Maintaining calendars (p. 224)
• Scheduling appointments
• Appointment: a time set aside for people to
discuss an issue
• Appointments can be requested by:
• Telephone
• Email or mail
• Personally at the office
• Make sure to confirm appointments
Appointments
• Cancelling appointments
• Appointments may be cancelled by a telephone
call or by an email
• Try to get a reason, and offer to reschedule
• List of appointments
• Depending on your preference or your
company’s rules, you may need to prepare a list
of appointments and gather important
information
Guidelines for scheduling appointments
• Record the exact time (beginning and end),
location, and purpose of the appointment
• Ensure that scheduled appointments do not
overlap by providing unstructured time (15
minutes) between appointments
• Accurately record the name, company, and phone
number/email address of the visitor on the
calendar. In the event that changes are necessary
at a later date.
• Avoid scheduling appointments on Monday
morning, as many people use this time to plan
activities for the week
• Avoid making appointments the day before an
important report is due, or very early or very late
in the workday
• Provide a client or visitor with more than one
option for an appointment so that she or he may
choose a specific time
• Specify the beginning and end times for an
appointment if it is shorter than normal so that the
visitor is aware of the time frame
• If you must refuse a request for an appointment,
offer an alternative time and a legitimate reason
for doing so
Electronic calendars (p. 226)
• Using a scheduling software, such as Novell
GroupWise 2014 or IBM SmartCloud Notes, is
very helpful in a networked environment
• It makes finding a meeting time and place simple;
you can enter names, tentative dates and times,
the length of location of the meetings
• And these software notify you when there is any
scheduling conflict
• Examples are on page 227, Fig. 12-3 and 12-4
• Let’s take a look at Figure 12-2 of page 226 to
look over some advantages and disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
Easily edited with visual and Provides details to others in
audible reminder your office
Unlimited additional details You and your other coworkers
can be added have to be diligent
Integrates with the mail Make sure to keep everyone’s
program, along with notices input organized and accurate
and agendas
Automatically makes lists of
tasks, appointments and
reminders
• Online appointment software: puts convenience
of making appointments in the hand of the client
or customer, which is very useful for a sole
proprietorship or partnership
• This web-based software provides clients and
customers 24/7 access to schedule their own
appointments online, where your company can
establish the parameters so that clients see only
your availability when choosing a time convenient
to them (an example is the AppleTree Medical)
Paper-based calendars (p. 228)
• Many offices will still use paper-based calendars,
so you can find loose-leaf pages (our HRM book)
or wire-bound (such as most calendars with rings
on its spine)
• Take a look at pages 228 and 229, Figures 12-5
and 12-6
Project 12-3 (p. 231)
[8th possible entry to ePortfolio]
• Go to tinyurl.com/eportfolio2018; find your Google
Drive Folder, and look for SCDP12-3, and fill it in
• You are free to work with your classmates to
complete it
• Send your document to
[email protected]
Project 12-4 (p. 232)
[9th possible entry to ePortfolio]
• Write tips and strategies for effective customer
service
• Send your document to
[email protected]
• Look over the suggestions from pages 219 to 223
to help you complete this writing activity
