HEALTH & SAFETY CORNER

DEALING WITH ANGRY PEOPLE

There may be times when a visitor to your office will become angry when hearing "NO" or when an angry or hostile customer or client confronts you about a problem. Dealing appropriately with these individuals may head off a potential emergency or disaster.

Be aware of the signs that indicate that a person approaching the front desk may be irritated. Even before they speak, angry and hostile people often show their mood with nonverbal messages. Watch the hunched shoulders, clenched fist, an angry expression, or perhaps a red face or stomping footsteps. Restlessness and either staring you down or avoiding eye contact are other indications that the person approaching will require some kind of attention.
If you believe the person approaching may be angry, prepare yourself. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are capable of handling the situation.
Let the person see a calm, friendly, and business like person. Don't react too quickly; take things slowly. Avoid becoming angry yourself. Responding in kind to shouting or trading insults will only aggravate a bad situation and might result in negative consequence for you. The person isn't angry with you, their issue is likely with the organization, a situation, a product or service or even another person in the organization.
Speak in a friendly manner and greet the person cordially, by name if possible. Show your interest and concern. Listen carefully to what the person is saying before beginning your response. The angry person wants to be heard. Empathize, perhaps with a phrase like, "Most people would be angry if their bill was incorrect three months in a row." Remember the angry person doesn't hear anything you are saying and is not ready to solve the problem. Keep on listening, focus on acknowledging the person's feelings. Only after they calm down and have vented their feelings will they be ready to move towards finding a solution.
Monitor the situation and the person's actions. If your attempts to calm the individual are unsuccessful and if you have any reason to believe that the situation is worsening or your own safety is in jeopardy, don't deal with the escalated situation. You are not obligated to tolerate foul language or abusive behavior. If the threshold of tolerance for abusive behavior is crossed or if threats are made, take steps necessary to deal with the situation. Contact security, use the panic button, and signal someone to call 911. Do whatever the specific situation requires to ensure everyone's safety.
When an angry person is on the phone rather than in the building standing in front of you, follow the same general guideline. Take the threats the caller makes seriously and take the appropriate actions immediately.

FRONT DESK ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Keep an eye on what's happening in the front desk area. Avoid sitting with your head down reading a book. Don't get involved in lengthy conversations with colleagues or lengthy personal phone conversations. Always be aware of who and what is coming through the door. If someone sitting in the waiting area moves, be aware of where they are going.
If employee badges are required at your location do everything you can to maintain 100 percent compliance. If an employee or colleague or someone you know well is not wearing their badge or if not visible remind them of the requirements.
If you have keys or an access card to the building or interior doors, keep them safe. Don't lend your keys to anyone or let anyone use a key or access card with which you have been entrusted.
Best to keep your keys on your person or in a locked cabinet or drawer. Hiding places that you consider secret often don't remain secret for long. If your key, access card or ID card is lost or stolen, report it to security or others as designated, immediately.
If you leave the work area for any reason, even for a minute, lock everything. Don't leave a purse, briefcase or bag at an unattended front desk.
When working on a computer, clear the screen and log off before walking away. Always follow all the intranet or Internet security guidelines; even one exception can create a breach in computer security that may be widespread and costly. Do not leave your computer password where someone might see it or easily find it.
If you have working papers on the desktop, put them in a drawer. Avoid leaving documents in shared printers or facsimile in public places. If you work with printed material that is in any way confidential or proprietary, do not simply throw it in a wastebasket in the front desk area. Request a shredder for the area. If that is not possible, dispose of discarded papers in an area of the building not accessible to outsiders.
Avoid discussing confidential information or the organization's business in front of visitors and remind others to follow suit. Information that seems inconsequential to you may be of great importance to the competition. The organization's business plans, customer information and other sensitive data are an asset to be protected.
Taking breaks: Make it a point to brief the person relieving you. Who is in the lobby area, and whom they are waiting to see. Are any deliveries or service persons expected? If anything has happened out of the ordinary let the relief person know what has happened. Do likewise on your return.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Report any suspicious activity such as an unfamiliar person remaining in the front desk area for no apparent reason or someone who has returned to the building multiple times in a short amount of time for no reason. Immediately report the presence of unauthorized building occupants, such as a terminated employee, or outsiders who have been identified as being a safety or security risk.
Always follow all the access controls to the letter - no exceptions; i.e. screen all visitors to verify that they have a legitimate need to be in the building and that they are expected. Follow company procedures! For example, have everyone sign in and issue them a temporary identification badge.
Each visitor should be announced to the person they wish to see by phone or intercom.
If you see someone begin to leave the front desk area and head for another part of the building without checking in ask, "Can I help you?", or "Can I let someone know you are here?" Do not give access and do not leave them unescorted. If the person is someone who should not be there they may likely ignore you or may give you a curt answer and head for an exit, stairwell or elevator. Do not try and stop them. Call security or 911 immediately and provide a description.
Anytime you see a person committing an illegal act or criminal offence, don't hesitate - Call 911 immediately and inform security. While fresh in your mind jot down details of the incident, who and what is involved.
If your front desk is the central point for deliveries, validate vendor lists of all routine deliveries and repair services. Take notice and report any suspicious packages. Even a briefcase left unattended and for which you can not identify an owner should be considered suspect. Do not handle or attempt to move any questionable item. It is important to track what comes in the building and what goes out.
Do not allow anyone, employee or visitor to remove computers, peripherals or other equipment from the building unless you know who they are and that they have permission to do so. In today's highly computerized world, while the equipment leaving the building does have financial value, it may also contain confidential or proprietary information that the organization can ill afford to let walk out the door. Some companies have a policy and a system for tracking equipment taken home. These forms are tracked by the front desk, and the items are checked back within the specified time.
Another security procedure being used today, particularly where data security is highly critical, is to have all visitors check in their laptops at the front desk. The computer serial number is recorded and then cross-referenced when the visitor leaves. This assures that the same computer that enters the building leaves the building and no exchanges were made.

Health Admin.