Monday, February 6th, 2023
The Director of First Impressions Has Gone By The Wayside
βIt only takes one cat β or person β to make another feel welcome and special.β – Laura C. Monteiro
There was an interesting discussion on the CPAFMA Connect discussion board. Several people noted that they no longer have a receptionist at the front desk.
Clients come into the office less frequently, and many team members work from home – times have changed.
I like to call the front desk person the Director of First Impressions because that is what they represent. They have been, and are, the face and voice of the firm. Maybe there is no longer a need for that person in some firms, but I imagine it is still necessary for many firms.
Kim Fitzgerald, PAFM of Squire, Lemkin & Company, allowed me to post her comment.
As of January 1, we no longer have anyone sitting at our front desk. Our front door is locked, and all visitors must ring the doorbell. Like you, our in-office traffic is very minimal these days as the majority of our staff are working remote. We do have an admin that answers the mainline calls from their desk, but again the majority of our firm members have given out their direct dial numbers, so our phone traffic has become minimal also. I hope you find this helpful.
- "Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast."
