3 Key Ways to Run an Efficient Front Desk

We know the role our martial arts instructors play in our schools. We also know the role our program directors play in our schools. Do we know the role our front desk staff play?

The following few tips are ways for you to support your front desk team and guide them to be more productive for your martial arts school.

• Encourage Them to Talk

Building rapport in our industry is the single most important means of retaining our students. As the flag bearers of your school, your front desk staff are the first people to meet and greet anyone that walks through your doors. Encourage your staff to talk to parents and find out about their day or their vacation plans, because if there are any problems that pertain to their child’s Martial Arts classes, your front desk staff will be the first to know.

It can get hectic at the front desk, there’s always someone that needs help, the phone doesn’t stop ringing, the endless to-do list, the instructors that walk up with questions, the program director that is flooded with appointments, so where’s the time to talk to parents? Prioritize. Make sure your staff know that taking a few minutes to talk to new students or a parent is okay, possibly necessary.

• Assign Priorities

What does your front desk do on a daily basis? Providing clarity on what should be done daily will allow your team the room to get everything done throughout a busy day. Create a list of things that must be done, but make sure to prioritize everything that should be done first. We recommend making phone calls - whether it be to inquiries or to confirm appointment for the day - as soon as your front desk starts their day.

Remember that it might not be possible to get everything on the list done before the end of the day, so if you happen to have a free moment ask your team if they need help. They’ll appreciate the gesture in true team spirit. More likely this will pertain to schools that have multiple people behind the desk, but nonetheless, assigning priorities keeps the school running smooth.

• Consider Them as an Equal

Everyone on your team plays a pivotal part in the success of your school. So why is it that our front desk staff is rarely given the same recognition as our instructors or program directors? Include your front desk staff in important decisions, because although it may at times be harder to tell, they are the glue that keeps everyone on your team together.

When the martial arts instructors need something, they run up to the front desk, when the program director needs someone to share their load with, they go to the front desk. Your front desk is almost certainly the linchpin role on your team, that helps get the vital information where it needs to go so that you and the rest of your team can do what you do best.

At the end of the day your front desk is there to make everyone’s job a little easier. Show them that you appreciate what they’re doing and you’ll see the efficiency within your school improve.