The Art of First Impressions

Yet such advice is often unheeded because the receptionist position is often seen as the bottom rung in the claim office. Pay scales likely match this assessment.

For these and other reasons, management often finds the receptionist position as the easiest to fill. Of course it is, if the main objective is to hire someone who can just answer phones and fog a mirror. However, poor receptionists can wreak havoc in a claim office by upsetting clients, irritating claimants, annoying policyholders, driving the claim staff crazy, and misrouting calls. They can cost you opportunities to boost office productivity if they cannot handle tasks and manage support projects during down time between phone calls and visitor drop-ins.

Weak receptionists do more than increase a claim office's Maalox consumption. They can create customer service nightmares, E&O exposures, and increased workload for the whole claim staff.

In most claim offices, the receptionist job is viewed as uncomplicated and straightforward. As in many other realms, though, this supposedly simple job often has a huge impact on the office's image and efficiency. If the receptionist answers the phone while snapping chewing gum or with an immediate, "Please hold," then ponder what that message says to outsiders.

Does such behavior convey a service orientation? Does it suggest that you are client-centered? Does it suggest that you're too cheap to adequately staff your switchboard or invest in a better phone system?

First Impressions Count

One could argue that with the advent of automated voice-mail systems, customers should count themselves lucky if a living, breathing human being answers their calls. These days, few offices seem to employ human beings to answer calls. More than likely, the response is a recording lamenting the "unusually high call volume" and cooing assurances that "your call is important to us." Yes, and I believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy too.

It may not be fair, but that's exactly how outsiders, including customers, clients, and potential insurance buyers, form opinions and first impressions. Failure to understand the huge impact receptionists have on the claim office may tempt many claim managers to underpay. Often, the pay scale of receptionists is lowest on the totem pole. Underpaying people — especially in a tight job market — often leads to hiring unqualified people or marginally motivated employees.

The problems caused by poor hires at the receptionist post are twofold: first, their job performance when they work and, second, when they leave or are fired. Someone must inevitably undo the mistakes the departing person made. Those errors may be latent and thus undetected during their tenure. Everyone in the claim office may shoulder added responsibilities until management can find a replacement receptionist. Keep in mind that extra work may be especially irksome to claim staff who may have to answer and route incoming phone calls until management hires a new receptionist. The last thing any adjusting team needs is more interruptions! Time spent playing temp receptionist — or dealing with one — is time they could otherwise spend investigating claims, negotiating, reporting to clients, and settling losses.

Unless the claim operation is big enough to have its own human resources department, someone within the office must take time from handling and managing claims to recruit and interview candidates. Claim office productivity plummets when management fails to value the role of a "simple receptionist" in a busy operation.

Ways to Upgrade the Position

So how do claim departments or TPAs hire all-star receptionists and retain them for the long haul? One way: pay more! This is a job slot where the performance of the person hired depends heavily on the compensation paid. With receptionists, as in other realms, you get what you pay for.

Interestingly, it may not cost much more to hire a high performer than to add a poor performer. Is a good claim receptionist worth an extra $1000, $2000 or even $3000 a year? Yes! Nevertheless, some claim managers will balk at paying more than market value for a receptionist. Perhaps, though, having a competent person who stays for several years is worth the extra dough. The claim receptionist position is a shining example of a relatively simple job that can nonetheless become a claim office's weakest link.

In the claim office, as in any setting, first impressions are vital. The receptionist has a huge impact, shaping first impressions that customers and callers have of the company and claim office. There are many ways to upgrade this impression. One is to train receptionists so they find out who is calling. Make sure that receptionists address each caller — especially clients — by name. Ensure that the receptionist returns to all callers before connecting them. This sends the message that customer service is a priority in the claim office or operation.

"Professionalizing" the Role

Another solution is to "professionalize" the receptionist position. Training can be an answer to retention challenges. Intuitively, we know that education is important. That is why we encourage kids to attend college. We exhort claim professionals to pursue the AIC and CPCU designations. Many TPA's and claim offices, however, offer little or no training to the front-line staff that answers the phones. It does not have to be this way. Fred Pryor and Skill Path offer courses that can boost receptionists' abilities. Springing for them to take the IIA's course on "Introduction to Claims" might also be a worthy investment. At McDonalds, employees perform relatively simple jobs. Yet the Golden Arches provide substantial training for each position so that each functions like clockwork. If fast-food chains can do it, then shouldn't claim operations to do it, too?

Another tip: Make sure that the receptionist knows the organizational chart and, generally, who is responsible for what. Arm receptionists with the tech tools to quickly index calls (and mail) so that both can be matched and routed to the right adjuster.

In an insurance claim office or TPA, all positions are linked and interdependent. The weakest link's impact ripples throughout the claim operation. It pays to hire, train, and manage the best people who are often a newcomer's first contact with your operation, even if it costs a little more. That includes the receptionist.

Don't even get me started about mail room employees!

Claim expert and author Kevin Quinley has helped many claim professionals boost their productivity. Visit his blog, at http://claimscoach.blogspot.com. Also, get your monthly productivity newsletter by e-mailing kquinley@cox.net.