Who's Up Front in You Office?

I start most mornings at Starbucks…about 5:30 am. Love that time of day. And I love the way the staff at my home-Starbucks greets me."Hi Rick!Here's your coffee and venti ice water." This team is usually perky and wear a cheery, if not a bit sleepy, smile.Nice…keeps me returning despite the mediocre coffee.

I have another "office" at an unnamed Panera Bread. Food and coffee are ok and I like the secluded seating and good wifi. The front counter person is pleasant and knows me but is not reflective of what Panera claims to be. She is goofy, unkept, and continually has to get help at the register. She also coughs a lot. Sorry, it is annoying and requires me to remind her to put on gloves when grabbing my scone.

Yeah, I know. It's hard to find good people. I also know this particular Panera restaurant is mostly empty. I wonder if their first impression has anything to do with the lack of patrons?

Put Your "Best Face" Up Front

Who is greeting your prospects and residents? Like having a memorable website homepage, the "first face"in your office sets the tone. Even the most glamorous and contemporary leasing center needs to have some great humans to make it count!

A couple of KWIK Tips for a great "Best Face" up front:

• SMILE! The "first face" has a big smile and makes a cheery and radiant greeting…every time.
• Be attractive. I'm serious! Your front person must be especially well groomed with dress that accommodates the vibe of your community.
• Wants to Help NOW! The person doing the greeting is FEP. Really Friendly and Enthusiastic about doing whatever it takes in a Professional manner.
• Have the Answers. The Up Front guy is your office FAQ. They already have the answers to those Frequently Asked Questions. This makes the office look smart and saves the rest of the team from unnecessary interruptions.

What do your Up Front folks communicate to the people who walk in the door? Do they need some training and guidelines? One more thing: Don't put your new guy at the front until they are properly prepared. They may not yet know the "look and feel" you want to convey.

Remember the old adage:"You never get a second chance to make a great first impression."