Being a great Administrative Professional and providing excellent customer service go hand in hand.
Having been an Administrative Assistant for over 20+ years, I have found the following tips to be amongst my best practices, allowing me to be the best I can be in fulfilling my daily tasks.
1. Be Organized and Detail Oriented
It is essential to be focused and prioritize your workflow. Attention to details is a must. Each morning jot down the top 5 tasks to accomplish in priority that day. This simple exercise starts the day on the right track, especially when the inevitable unexpected requests come up. Consistent preparation is necessary to prevent falling behind and create a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
2. Be Flexible
Flexibility and multitasking qualities are a must. Just as you begin to tackle your top 5 priorities, an interruption may come up; the flexibility to switch from one task to another without skipping a beat will create a productive flow. Remember, you can always refer back to your top 5 list after completing the emergency or re-prioritize for the next day.
3. Have Good Judgement
Possess the ability to make sound decisions without guidance from your supervisor, and know your boundaries. A good understanding of the business and approval processes will add to the level of value you offer as a team player. Possessing confidence in the decisions you make will demonstrate your readiness to take on more responsibility.
4. Take Pride in Your Work
Whatever you do, big or small, it is YOUR work. Take the time to look at everything one more time before you send it out. Is it typo free, will it print properly, does it look professional? Strive to prevent submission of “sloppy” work.
5. Be a Team Player
Administrative Assistants must be team players. A good team player puts the team goals and team accountability as top priority. Take the initiative and always offer to help wherever you can.
Providing EXCELLENT Customer Service
Customer Service sets great businesses apart from the rest. Clients/customers are the reason that businesses exist. A good customer service experience can turn a one-time client into a lifelong client who refers your company to people they know. As an Administrative Assistant you are often one of the first points of contact for clients, customers and vendors. Communication skills are very important to the customer service you provide.
Our clients are very important to us and we want to do everything we can to make their experience the best it can be.
Here are some tips to help you provide excellent customer service:
1. Create a Good Working Relationship
An administrative professional should have a great working relationship with clients from the very beginning. The client should know you are the “go to” person, who will take care of their concerns in a timely fashion.
We strive to reply to any email or phone call within 24 hours. To me, “excellent” customer service means replying even sooner. If the concern cannot be addressed quickly, send a note or make a quick call to let the client know you have reviewed their concern and it will be properly addressed as soon as possible.
2. Listen
It’s important to listen to what your clients are communicating to you. They need to know you care about their concern and will take care of it.
3. Follow Up
When you send a client documents they need to complete and send back, be sure to add follow-up reminders in your calendar and follow up. Sending a note, confirming their receipt of the material and ensuring they don’t have any questions, is a good approach.
4. Show Appreciation
Everyone likes to know they are appreciated, or that their business is appreciated. Sending a birthday card, thank you card, congratulatory card for an important accomplishment or a sympathy card when they have a loss, will certainly show your client they are appreciated.
SendOutCards is an easy and convenient way to send birthday, congratulatory, or thank you cards without the hassle of pen, paper, stamps, envelopes or mailboxes. Choose a custom card, add a personal photo, write your message, and choose a date to send. A bulk campaign can also be created to send batches of cards for holidays, for example.
Being a great Administrative Professional and providing excellent customer service go hand in hand. Put the tips we’ve provided into action; feel good about yourself and the job you are doing. McLean International has many tools to support growth in the area of administration.
Debra Giordana
Administrative Assistant with McLean International
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