Baysville School of Skills

MRS LEWIS OFFICE ADMINISTRATION – TERM 2

LESSON 1: DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS/VISITORS

INSTRUCTIONS TO LEARNERS:
 Read through these notes very carefully.
 Familiarise yourself with the different types of visitors.
 Complete the activity at the end of the lesson.
NOTES:

Different types of customers/visitors:

 The talkative visitor
 The *inquisitive (curious) visitor
 The rude visitor
 The *arrogant visitor

HOW TO HANDLE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VISITORS:

1. The talkative visitor

 A talkative visitor can be troublesome when you are very busy.

How do you handle the talkative visitor?

Step 1: Make a friendly excuse and answer briefly when such a person asks
questions.

Step 2: Be especially careful not to disclose any *confidential information.

2. The inquisitive (curious) visitor

 Curiosity may simply be a personal characteristic of a visitor. However, it

could also mean that the visitor is an *industrial spy.

How do you handle the inquisitive visitor?

Step 1: Before answering any questions, consider your replies carefully.

Step 2: Give only the necessary information.

Step 3: Do NOT leave inquisitive visitors alone in an office where confidential

documents are kept.
 Baysville School of Skills

EXAMPLE:

If a visitor asks: ‘When will your employer return from her trip?’ you should answer:
‘I am not sure, but I will inform you as soon as she comes back.’

3. The rude visitor

 People may be or sound rude for various reasons. Some visitors are abrupt
because they have low self-esteem. Others might have problems with their
accounts.

How do you handle the rude visitor?

Step 1: Always treat a *discourteous visitor in a friendly and polite manner.

Step 2: Try to understand the visitor’s point of view.

Step 3: Investigate the complaint.

EXAMPLE:

If a mistake has been made on an account, you should say: ‘I apologise for the
inconvenience, if our company is at fault, the mistake will be corrected
immediately. Please don’t worry about it.’

4. The arrogant visitor

 These visitors are often the most difficult to handle because they feel they
have the right to make personal comments.

How do you handle the arrogant visitor?

Step 1: Be firm.

Step 2: Be polite.

Step 3: Be professional when dealing with this type of visitor. This will
prevent you from becoming involved in an argument or unpleasant
discussion.

Step 4: Immediately direct such visitors to the right department or person who
can assist them.
WORD BANK
 Inquisitive – curious, nosy  Industrial spy – Someone who steals
 Arrogant – overconfident, self- secrets from the company with which
important its competing.
 Confidential – private, personal  Discourteous – rude, ill-mannered

ACTIVITY 1
 Baysville School of Skills

Complete the table below:

TYPE OF VISITOR CHARACTERISTICS WHAT TO DO

1.Talkative visitor

2.The inquisitive visitor

3.The rude visitor

4.The arrogant visitor