Ashley Griffin is a front desk customer and service sales trainer for Crystal Focus Salon Coaching. CLICK HERE to read all of Ashley's blogs.

She's peppy, fun, she gets along with everyone at first meeting, and she's smart! Nothing could go wrong with her-or, so you thought! After two months, she's not as happy as the first couple of weeks of employment. Then, she starts telling everyone how "bored" she gets during the slow times at the desk. She even gets caught up in a few arguments with the stylists. Lately, she's been booking appointments all wrong!

You were sure this was a good fit- but now, you're not so sure.

What can you do to quickly get her back on track? How can you gracefully let her go if she is the wrong person for the job?

I have a few steps to help you to either get her heading in the right direction or weed her out if it's time to part ways.

Have "The Talk." Everyone deserves a chance to talk out the issues they may have been facing at the front desk. About 30 minutes before their scheduled shift is about to end, call them into the office and talk things out. Even though you may be frustrated that this person isn't performing as well as you expect them to, set your feelings aside and stick with the facts.
Offer a safe haven for them in the office so they can comfortably talk with you about what has been hindering their work at the front desk. Take the time to discuss if this position is what they expected, and how they feel their performance has been. Then, let them know what your expectations are for the position and see if they are willing to meet them. If you can't seem to agree on how to handle the job of a front desk sales representative, it might be time to part ways. While they may not be suited for your busy and growing salon, offer to write them a letter of recommendation.

Set a timeline to get back on track. Literally write down a timeline wherein you expect to see a difference in their work performance. A root cause of their trouble may be that they need additional training on the desk and its procedures.
In that case, you can always pull out your Front Desk Training Manual and start from the beginning. Give them two to three weeks to redo their manual training, and then move on to the next section of the timeline. Further steps could include weekly sessions on extensive training in customer service, and learning more about product knowledge. Finally, set up one-on-one coaching sessions with the salon manager or owner on how to deal with the everyday challenges they will face in the salon.
This could almost be considered a probationary period in which they are required to complete all tasks on the timeline in order to keep their position as a front desk sales representative.

Review and revisit. Once your timeline is complete, set up a meeting where you and the employee can discuss everything learned over the past couple of weeks. Talk about everything they've learned and what improvements they've made throughout the process. Celebrate the changes they've made for the good, but also offer suggestions on other habits that still need more work.
Again, take the time to discuss whether or not this is a position that they truly want to keep. You never want to employ someone who doesn't really want to work for the good of your company. Once you feel they've made the commitment to run your front desk the best that they can, hand the desk back to them with confidence.

Need more tips for hiring the right person? Check out, "How to Hire the Right Person for the Front Desk." For more ideas on how to build a winning team at the front desk, visit Crystal Focus online and check out our featured success products. Use the code Ashley100 to receive $100.00 off the purchase of your Front Desk Doctor Kit!

Have questions? Email me at Ashley@crystalfocus.com.