First Impressions Assistant: Module 2
What are my responsibilities?
Sections in this module
Role Responsibilities
Customer Service
Dress Code
Tracking Your Time
1. Role Responsibilities
First Impression Assistants play a vital role in representing the Kentucky Career Center and ensuring that all customers have a positive first impression by providing excellent customer service. The First Impression Assistant offers a friendly face to people as they experience hardships (such as job loss and financial insecurity) and exciting new career opportunities.
In general, the role of the First Impressions Assistant can be split into two “shifts”: Front Desk and Resource Room.
All new First Impressions Assistants are expected to be trained in both, but may be assigned a “shift” depending on the front desk capacity.
Below, we will get into the basic responsibilities for each shift of the First Impressions Assistant role. There are more in-depth modules detailing specific protocols for each “shift” later.
Front Desk
When working at the front desk, you are responsible for:
Greeting and checking in customers
Answering and routing calls
Communicating with staff regarding appointment arrivals
Directing guests and providing referral information to more specialized KCC services
Answering general questions about KCC services
Ensuring customers complete the Customer Satisfaction Survey on the lobby kiosks
Assisting guests, as needed*, in the Resource Room
To be successful in the role, you will need to demonstrate:
Service excellence
Professional verbal communication
Basic knowledge of KCC partner services and referral processes
Attention-to-detail in tracking visits and calls
Knowledge of phone system
Advanced beginner/Intermediate computer skills
Ownership of “we are KCC” messaging and accountability
Resource Room
Our career centers offer job seekers the opportunity to use the Resource Room for various needs such as online applications, UI claim filing, and registration for our career services. You will be trained to assist these customers in the Resource Room.
Responsibilities in the Resource Room include:
Answering customer questions. These are largely focused in the areas of:
Unemployment Insurance-related processes (filing new claim, requesting payment, ID.me)
Finding jobs online
Performing general computer/internet navigation assistance
Referring customers to KCC services
Pulling old/expired flyers/job listings from the ‘Now Hiring’ rack and ‘Upcoming Events’ board.
Talking customers through available KCC services and ensuring there are Job Seeker Packet copies available.
A successful Resource Room worker will demonstrate:
Service excellence
Professional verbal communication
Basic knowledge of KCC partner services and referral processes
Patience
Advanced beginner/Intermediate computer skills
Ownership of “we are KCC” messaging and accountability
It is essential that we are alert, professional, and attentive to our customers at all times while at the front desk and in the Resource Room.
Our position is to assist only. We are not social workers, claims-takers, counselors, etc.
We are not allowed to answer specific questions regarding issues such as Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims, police business, and media issues. Avoid this by directing those questions to the correct representative, counselor, or supervisor. As a precaution to not misrepresent the office, it is also best to steer away from personal conversations about controversial topics.
If you have questions regarding this, ask your supervisor.
2. Customer Service
Customer Service & Training
Customer service excellence is an essential requirement to the position of a First Impressions Assistant and will be an ongoing process throughout the time that the employee is at KCC. The following is a list of professional boundaries that should be maintained with customers to ensure a professional and respectful work environment.
Professional Boundaries with Customers
Financial Transactions
Do not offer or provide personal financial assistance to customers. Do not accept money, gifts, or tips from customers.
Personal Relationships
Maintain a professional distance; avoid developing personal relationships with customers. Refrain from sharing personal contact information (e.g., phone number, email address, social media profiles) with customers.
Physical Boundaries
Respect personal space; avoid unnecessary physical contact. Do not offer rides or transportation to customers. Avoid inappropriate physical gestures or actions (e.g., hugging, touching).
Emotional Boundaries
Be empathetic and supportive, but avoid becoming emotionally involved in customers' personal issues. Refer customers to appropriate professional services for emotional or psychological support.
Communication Boundaries
Use professional language and tone in all interactions. Do not engage in inappropriate or overly personal conversations. Avoid discussing personal beliefs or opinions on sensitive topics such as politics, religion, or personal life. Do not share personal problems or issues with customers.
Time Boundaries
Set clear limits on the amount of time spent with each customer to ensure fairness and efficiency. Do not arrange to meet customers outside of work hours or the workplace. Be punctual and respectful of customers’ time.
Confidentiality
Protect the privacy of customers' information and do not share it with unauthorized individuals. Follow organizational policies regarding the handling and sharing of customer data. Do not discuss other customers' situations or personal details.
Favors and Special Treatment
Treat all customers equally without offering special favors or privileges. Avoid accepting personal favors from customers in exchange for preferential treatment.
Professional Roles
Clearly define and adhere to your role and responsibilities as an employee. Do not perform tasks outside of your professional scope or authority. Avoid making promises you cannot keep.
Conflict of Interest
Avoid situations where personal interests could conflict with professional duties. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest to your supervisor.
Appropriate Use of Resources
Use organizational resources (e.g., office supplies, equipment) only for work-related purposes.
Do not use work resources for personal gain or activities.Respect and Decorum
Always address customers with respect and courtesy. Avoid gossiping about customers or colleagues. Do not use offensive or inappropriate language.
Customer service training will be an ongoing process throughout the time that you are at KCC. This can include different kinds of training and will never incur a cost to the employee. Examples of these are the following:
Kentucky Career Center Orientation/KCCO (mandatory attendance in first week)
Kentucky Essential Skills Certification/KESC
TeamUp calendar software training
Phone system and phone etiquette training
Front desk/resource room/ID.me training & shadowing
De-Escalation training
Kentucky Essential Skills Certification
The KESC is an industry-recognized credential for professional soft-skills in Kentucky. This certification typically takes place over two days (both required) and includes training on communicating effectively, teamwork, problem solving, and professionalism. If you haven’t previously completed this training, you will be expected to complete it within the first six months of your volunteer experience. Ask your supervisor when the next KESC session will take place.
First Impressions Etiquette/Expectations
The following are general expectations for customer service excellence at the Kentucky Career Center. If you don’t think you’re able to meet these expectations, please meet with your supervisor so you can be placed elsewhere.
Positive and polite.
At KCC we call our visitors “customers”. Why? Because we are here to serve them. They are choosing to come to KCC, and should be treated with all the respect and dignity of a customer.
When a customer is in front of you or on the phone with you, give them your full attention. If a customer raises their hand across the room, approach them and help— don’t yell over to them. If you need assistance, please ask your teammates!
Polished and professional.
The Kentucky Career Center has a business casual dress code. We will go into more detail as to what that entails in the section below.
First Impressions Specialists are expected to speak professionally, and avoid inappropriate language and topics such as politics, sex, religion, etc.
Keep the common areas tidy.
In general, it is okay to have drinks and snacks at the front desk. Meals, however, should be taken in the break room. If you make a mess, please clean up after yourself. Failure to do so may result in all food/drink being banned from the front desk/resource room.
Give the customer something to walk away with.
The customer should always walk away with something. Whether that’s a lead for resources, information on potential programs, and a flyer on our orientation, the customer should come away from speaking with us with something that they didn’t have before. It’s not enough to say “I don’t know” and leave it at that.
Cell phone/personal device usage
First Impressions Assistants should not allow cell phones to distract them from their business tasks. Personal cell phone calls should be taken away from the front desk. Cell phones should not be used in front of customers for anything other than business. Please refrain from personal surfing of the internet, streaming movies, or gaming on your device during work hours. Cell phones should never be used while driving, operating office equipment, or in any situation where they can cause accidents or injury. Office injuries can occur because an employee is distracted by a cell phone and not watching where they are walking.
Repeated instances of inappropriate cell phone distraction may result in a “No-Phones” policy, so please be mindful while using your cell phone!
Confidentiality/Sensitive Customer Information
We deal with sensitive customer information on a daily basis: IDs, social security numbers, customer addresses, etc. We are responsible for handling this information in a safe way.
DO NOT leave customer information or mail out on the front desk.
If it’s needed, get it to the person who needs it.
If it’s not needed, dispose of it/shred it.
3. Dress Code
In an effort to ensure a consistent, professional appearance to our customers and colleagues, KCC staff adhere to a dress code. Our appearance reflects our professionalism and the agencies we represent.
Employees are expected to dress in business or business casual attire unless the day’s tasks require otherwise.
Employees must always present a clean, professional appearance. This means being well-groomed and wearing clean clothing that is free of holes, tears, or other signs of wear. If you are having trouble acquiring this type of clothing, please feel free to speak openly to your supervisor.
Clothing with offensive or inappropriate designs, stamps, or branding is never permitted.
Clothing should not be too revealing. Skirts should be knee-length at a minimum and wearing strapless/backless attire is never permitted.
Casual Fridays
Casual dress on Friday is not compulsory, so if staff wish to wear their normal work attire, they should feel free to do so. Casual Friday means there is a slightly more casual change to our normal attire, which should remain acceptably professional. See the list below for examples. Please note that when a special event is occurring that requires a more professional appearance, your Supervisor has the ability to require normal dress code for the day.
Acceptable choices:
jeans and/or capri-style pants
clean sneakers/boots
polo shirt (can be plain or have agency logo)
leggings under dresses, sweaters, or tunic blouses
sweatshirts with agency branding
Unacceptable choices:
Jeans with holes and rips; shorts
Flip-flops, slippers, or beach shoes
T-shirts displaying sayings or imagery
Yoga or running leggings
Sweatshirts with branding
If you need assistance with obtaining business casual clothing, please let your supervisor know.
Below are a couple of resources for free business casual clothing:
Dress for Success:
They have a location down the road at Life Learning Center.
You can make your appointment here: https://calendly.com/d/x49-f4v-5sg
The link is also available on the Front Desk site: nkcareercenter.org/covfrontdesk
Well-Suited:
Well-Suited is in the Center for Employment Training (CET) Suite at:
601 Washington Avenue
Suite 140
Newport, KY 41071
The hours are 9AM – 5PM, and the service is on a walk-in basis.
4. Tracking Your Time
Timesheets are the responsibility of the trainee or intern participant to report.
First Impressions Assistants are expected to track their time using the timesheet mecahnism provided by your program, as well as signing in and out daily with the ‘Log Volunteer Time’ button on the front desk page.
Your KCC Supervisor is not held responsible for trainees and interns not reporting their program timesheets on time.
If you know you will be out when timesheets are due, please make arrangements to have the timesheet available for a verification signature before the due date.
Trainees and interns are also expected to record their hours worked for the day before the end of every shift!
Reporting for Work
If you will be late or absent, you should make every effort to contact your KCC Supervisor and your program liaison by phone before the start of your shift.
KCC understands that unexpected absences happen occasionally, but please try to convey any needed time off to your supervisor at least two days prior. Emergencies are an exception. No call, no show will be considered an abandonment of your training position and will be reported to your program liaison. If the no call, no show is not deemed an emergency, the trainee or intern may not be permitted to continue in their role at KCC.