Written by Patti Komara

It is very important for your families to have a great experience on their first day of class because it sets the tone for the rest of the season’s classes! Here are ten things that you can do that help to ensure that your families get off on the right foot on their first day!

1. Have a friendly greeter at the door to ask if they need to fill out any paperwork, get apparel, or are they ready for class? Show them to the proper area to wait for their first class.
2. Fill out the membership form as much as you can if they do have to do paperwork
3. Have required apparel pulled and waiting for them in their sizes.
4. Smile and say, “You must be Mrs. Chandler. We’ve been expecting you and Lilly for the 4:00 class.
5. Take them on a tour (if they haven’t been on one yet). Explain the programs available in addition to the one they are registered for, where the bathrooms are, coat room, lost and found, parent observation, T.V., and where the sibling toys are located.
6. Introduce student to teacher
7. You must develop a “relationship” with the new student… or go broke…period! Mention their kids, their hair or clothes, anything to make a connection.
8. Especially with new customers, always under-promise and over-deliver. If you said 6:1 ratio, don’t have seven kids there. Give them something the first day. We are giving them a free car decal.
9. At the end of class, the teachers should come out and mention something positive about the child to the parents. The office person should ask the parents and kids how they liked the class on their way out. AND, thank them for coming.
10. Remember the Rule of 3’s…  3 seconds to assess you, 30 seconds to see if they trust you, 3 minutes to see if you meet their needs and wants. That means you greet them with eyebrows stuck to your forehead and a smile on your face. Be likable, friendly, create a common like or interest, and show a genuine effort to make them happy.

A few other tips:

Front office staff are the first staff members they will encounter. Make sure they’re up to the task of making your customers feel they’re in good hands. Click here to check out #163 “Front Office Excellence”, a motivational lecture and book Patti did exclusively for your front office girls–get it today. You order training DVDs for coaches. The front office is where your customers will get their first impression. You only have one chance to make a positive first impression. And, for great customer service systems….click here to purchase #167 “Customer Service Systems That Make a Dramatic Difference in Retention”. The Olympics might BRING them in, but you’ve got to KEEP them in.

You can also get a training video: #174 – “Fun Stuff to Do to Start and End Your Class” by clicking here.