What the Heck Has Happened to Customer Service
I often talk about Customer Service here on Administrative Arts, because I consider it to be such an important aspect of your job, regardless of your job description. Well, this morning, I was caught in my own personal customer service brouhaha, and I thought I would share it with all of you to illustrate some [...]
Dealing With Difficult Customers: The Basics
photo credit: Zach Klein
The dreaded difficult customer, you know them as soon as they walk in the door. It’s in their stance, the look on their face, their tone of voice and general body language. The arrival of a difficult customer, though, does not have to spoil your whole day. There are ways to [...]
Grammar Tip: Easier vs Easily
photo credit: quinn.anya
Proofreading is an essential skill for all administrative support personnel. In addition to spelling and typos, you also need to be looking for proper word usage. In a previous post, I talked about confusing the words Prospective and Perspective. Today I have another pair of words that I often find misused.
Easier vs. [...]
10 Things To Do When You Have Nothing To Do
photo credit: sunshinecity
One piece of advice that I give to every up-and-coming administrative assistant is this: NEVER SIT IDLE! If you have nothing to do, then go out and find something to do. Occasionally, though, you do find yourself temporarily at loose ends, so here’s a list of 10 things to do when you [...]
Create a Desk Reference Manual
photo credit: Dan4th
What happens if a sudden emergency occurs and you have to be off work for a week or more? Could a temp walk into your office and be able to easily handle things while you’re gone? She can if you’ve created a Desk Reference Manual with procedures on how to handle your [...]
What Are Your New Year’s Goals?
As the holidays wind down, New Year’s Day looms, and with it the spectre of New Year’s Resolutions. While most people look at these resolutions in a personal sense, like losing weight, exercising more, or being more assertive, I’ve found it beneficial to apply the idea of New Year’s Resolutions to work as well. We [...]
New Job? What to do on your first day
So, you’re starting a new job as an Administrative or Executive Assistant. What do you do to make sure you start off on the right foot and are able to hit the ground running?
First Things First
Your first task should be to sit down with your new boss and find out exactly what he/she expects. Some [...]
Making A Full Page of the Same Label
So, you have a mailing to process, and you want to make a full page of the return address label. Don’t worry, you don’t have to type out each label individually. Making a full page of the same label is very easy in Microsoft Word.
First, click on Tools: Letters and Mailings: Envelopes & Labels:
Next, click [...]
Answering Questions Right the First Time: Creating a Resource List
In my previous series on Receptionist Tips (see Part I and Part II), I neglected one very important piece of information: creating a resource list.
As a receptionist, you are often the first person someone will talk to, and if they are not calling the right place, you are often the only one they will talk [...]
For Beginners: Receptionist Tips Part Deaux
On to Part Two of our Receptionist Tips series.
In Receptionist Tips I, I discussed phone etiquette for receptionists, although some of the tips are applicable to anyone in the admin support field. However, unless you are working on a switchboard, there’s a great deal more to being a receptionist than answering the phone.
Appearance: [...]
