Meet and Welcome Visitors - Dealing with Problems and Purpose of Communication

Updated on March 29, 2015

Source: stthomasrichmond.org
Various problems occur in business environments where there are frequent visits
from visitors. Visitors could be from various backgrounds and they could be there
for various reasons, which means they could be in different frames of mind
depending on the issue that they have come there for. In order to handle clients
from various backgrounds and with different issues, one should be capable of
handling those initial queries, or the least sign post them to the right department.
Communication plays a very important role hence one should be able to
communicate with clients from any background.

This is the second part to the Unit "Meet and Welcome visitors." This is a level 2 unit
with a total credit of 3.

For the first part to this unit, please follow the link below.

Meet and Welcome Visitors - Procedures, Purpose and Responsibilities

1.5 Describe different types of problems that may occur with visitors including,
conflict and aggression

In a business environment, one can expect visitors from diverse backgrounds, with
different behaviours and with different needs and expectations.

Some of the types of problems that may occur with visitors are:

Depending on the reason for visit and based on various behaviours and
characteristics you may come across different problems related to the visitors
behaviour or reaction to a particular issue.

Even before the visitor entered the building, they could have had problems with
parking and this can make the visitor frustrated or angry.
Some visitors may get frustrated if they had difficulty in finding the location and this
could have been due to many reasons, one of which could be miscommunication.
Problems due to lack of facilities like seating, toileting and rest room, drinking
water, canteen, queues at reception, long waiting times, no staff to signpost or
advice at reception and so on. This can make the visitor frustrated and sometimes
aggressive.
Problems can occur because the purpose of visit was hindered due to unavailability
of the concerned staff or delay in processes making the visitor upset or angry.
Conflicts may sometimes arise as a result of arguments and the visitor/s may
become aggressive and abusive
Due to any of the above reasons, the visitor/s may become aggressive and shout,
swear, threaten and sometimes even get involved in violence.
1.6 Describe ways of dealing with different problems and when to refer them to an
appropriate colleague

Problems that occur with visitors in a business environment can at some instances
be avoided with some precautionary measures put in place and by closely following
the organisations policies and procedures. However, there are times when
problems occur despite all the preventive measures and these have to be dealt with
in a very sensitive and constructive way so that no parties are affected.

Source: permanentlifechanges.com
A few preventive measures that can be taken are:

It is always very important to create some sort of barrier between you and visitors
to keep yourself safe; for example a glass barrier or something similar to that
Have a panic alarm or security personnel in case of emergency or a phone/mobile to
call for help.
Be ready to respond to aggressive customers keeping the calm and also some
knowledge of self-defence

Aggressive and angry visitors are more common in business places that deal with
health care, local authority and governmental services, schools, colleges,
universities and other educational institutions, police, etc.

Some of the different ways in which problems with visitors can be dealt with are:

When there is a problematic situation, first of all apologise to the visitor, whatever
the problem is; whether it is reasonable or not, whether the visitor is right or wrong.
It is best to stay calm and try to resolve the problem. Thank them for letting you
know about the problem.
Respond very calmly, maintain eye contact and have patience in listening and
understanding the visitors problem (avoid anger and frustration by all means). Tell
the visitor that you understand that they are upset and if needed ask what you can
do to solve the problems. Empathise with them and offer a cup of tea or coffee if
that is possible to calm them down. Do not take it personal.
Take responsibility for the problem and deal with it immediately.
Certain problems can be dealt with by mentioning the rules and regulations, policies
and procedures, service criteria and eligibility, etc. along with leaflets if any
available, so that the visitor knows what exactly is the right thing.
Be very assertive, show no signs of fear and be very polite.
Give them the best service possible and make them feel good and this will make
them want to come back again for business.
Always put yourself in their shoes and think of how you wish to be treated in this
situation; treat the visitor the same way you wish yourself to be treated.
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Greet a Visitor

When to refer them to an appropriate colleague?

When you have tried every means to work out a solution to the visitors problem
and if you feel that there is something that has to be done beyond your
capabilities / capacities / administrative rights, then it is best to refer them to a
manager or another colleague who has better knowledge and experience of the
problem.
Some incidents can affect you emotionally and if that is the case, it is best to
handover the situation to another colleague who will be able to deal with the
situation or get help from the manager.
There may be situations where a visitors request may not comply with
organisations terms and conditions or policies and procedures and these have to be
taken to another appropriate colleague mostly higher management.
There may sometimes be serious problems that will need involvement of security
personnel or the police and in that case, triggering the panic alarm or calling the
police is the best option to avoid any risks. Always have a phone or mobile handy as
you never know when a difficult situation will arise.
1.7 Explain the purpose of communicating with visitors

Communication is a process where ideas, opinions, facts and emotions are

exchanged between two or more people. Visitors who visit a business environment
will have their first point of contact at the greeting area which is usually the
reception. So being at reception one has to have good communication skills and has
to communicate with the customers in appropriate ways.

How To Have Better Communication Skills

The purpose of communicating with visitors are:

You represent the organisation and any impression that you create with the client
will have a lasting effect on the organisation as a whole. So presenting yourself
professionally and communicating professionally with the client is very important.
Communication helps you to better understand the needs and purpose of visit of
the visitor and for the visitor to gain information that they require. It also helps with
mutual understanding.

Good communication attracts more visitors and retains the existing candidates also
and this helps your business grow.
Communication leaves the visitor with a satisfaction and trust that the organisation
truly cares
1.8 Describe organisation structures and communication channels within the
organisation

All organisations have their own structures and this is based on the businesses or
services they provide. In order for an organisation or business to perform its tasks,
meet its aims, objectives and to achieve its goals, it has to be structured according
to either the way it functions or according to the services they provide, products
they deliver or according to the regional location of the business.

Source: web-books.com
Organisation structure according to its functions - In this case the organisation may
have several areas of functionalities like health and housing, health services, adult
services, children services, finance departments, customer services, Human
resources, Information Assets, Training department, Legal services, Welfare rights
services, business support units, transport services, tax department and so on. This
type of organisation will be structured based on the different functions they
perform. Each department will have an organisation chart or structure, some of
which may be interlinked and all these structures will finally link together to form
the organisational structure.

Organisation structure according to the services / products they deliver Some

organisations for example retail companies will have different departments for each
product or service that they deliver. For example, a DIY warehouse will have various
departments like Building, hardware, showroom, gardening, electrical, decoration
departments and so on. Overseeing all these departments will be the back office
services like, telephony department, ordering and deliveries team, human resources
team etc. Each department will have a small team and all these teams will be
structured and linked to the operations and service managers who will then be
linked to the General Manager.

Organisation structure according to the regional / location function Some

organisations or businesses are structured in a way that a particular service or
product that they deliver is provided in a particular region or division. For example
consultants, solicitors, real estate agencies, property agents, oil companies etc. may
have a local office or a national office or an international office. The business may
be structured in a way that the head office is located in a particular place in the
country or internationally and the regional offices in a few major cities and then the
sub divisions scattered locally across the country or across the world. All the subdivisions are connected to relevant regional offices which are then communicated
from regional to head office. Sometimes there are organisations where each
divisional area performs different tasks and all these divisions are structured and
interlinked to form the organisation as a whole.

In all the above cases, that is in all the structures above,

There are people working at different levels of the hierarchical structure.

They have different responsibilities and goals depending on the positions that they
hold within the organisation.
The number of employees in each department or level will depend on the size of the
organisation or the structure of the organisation.
The number of levels in each organisations structure will depend on the nature of
the business.
Some organisations may have a high hierarchical structure while some others may
have a small structure with fewer levels. A matrix structure is sometimes set up
when working on projects and similar tasks, where people from different
departments or regions work together to accomplish a task

What is communication? Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, facts,

information, opinion, experiences, etc, between two or more organisations or
departments or people. To achieve this in a business environment effectively, there
have to be proper communication channels in place in the organisation.

Communication in an organisation creates a form of communication channel that

can be used to carry information across various areas of the business, across to
customers and across various partners and businesses. Communication channels
function both vertically up and down the hierarchical structure (i.e. from employees

to top management and from top management to employees) and laterally

(horizontally) between departments. Supervisors or team leaders act as mediators
or facilitators for communication between employees and higher management and
also ensure that the communication is accurate and on time. Basically
communication channels are human relationship chains within the organisation and
between organisations.

Source: slideshare.net
Communication channels could be formal or informal, temporary (situational) or
permanent.

Formal communication channel This channel is systematic, is defined and has a

permanent structure. It depends on the organisational structure and follows only
that path of communication. Although the flow of information is limited, it is safe,
orderly and under control. It can lead and avoid errors and miscommunications
depending on circumstances and situations.

Informal communication channel This channel is not defined or systematic and

does not have a permanent structure. The communication between employees
takes place when necessary and in between different areas of the organisation
structure as and when required. This form of communication is faster, but is not
always acceptable as it can bypass organisational procedures and hence has to be
achieved with great care and caution.

Temporary or situational communication channel This form of communication

channel is created when necessary, for urgent or one off communications.

Permanent communication channel This is also a form of formal communication

channel and communications take place only in the specified path within the
specified structure.

Our organisation works with a combination of all the above communication channels
as it is a local authority and deals with various departments.

Source: pixshark.com
For all of the above types of communication channels, we have different modes of
communications that we use in the organisation.

They are:

Emails This method is used for communication within the team and between
various departments and structures of the organisation.

Faxes Faxes are used when transmitting highly confidential information across to
departments that are located in different areas within the organisation.

Reports Reports are used to communicate information in a methodical and

structured way and to compare data across different timescales or departments.
These are also used to monitor performance.

Telephones and mobiles These are used to communicate between staff who work
in different departments and areas and with clients.

Face to face This happens within the team, in meetings, when other staff visit the
area office, when clients visit area office, etc.

For the first part to this unit, please follow the link below.

Meet and Welcome Visitors - Procedures, Purpose and Responsibilities

I hope you found the information here useful and interesting. Please do not hesitate
to feedback and share your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you for stopping by.

Livingsta.

A kind note to NVQ candidates:

This is only for reference and please do not reproduce. Also, please relate to your
business environment and job description while writing down your units. All the
best!