What to tell your front desk on day one

A new person at the front desk is only as good as what you tell them on day one. Most of the questions callers ask are the same ten, so write the answers down once.

Your hours. Regular hours, holiday hours, and what happens after close. Can people book for tomorrow? Should they leave a message?

Your services and prices. Each service, how long it takes, and what it costs. If a price depends on something, like hair length or the size of the job, say what it depends on.

Where you are. The address, parking, which door to use, and anything that's easy to get wrong.

The questions people always ask. Do you take walk-ins? Do you take cards? Is there a cancellation fee? Can I bring my kid? Write each one down with the answer you'd give.

Who to pass things to. Which calls go to you, which go to a teammate, and what can wait for a message.

What needs your OK. Refunds, discounts, squeezing someone in after hours. Anything you'd want to hear about first, say so.

How you sound. Friendly and quick, or calm and detailed? A sentence or two about your shop's tone goes a long way.

Put it all on one page. Update it when something changes, not when a customer gets the wrong answer.