FIRE YOUR RECEPTIONIST!
Ok… maybe that’s a little harsh. But seriously—hear me out.

Let me paint a picture:

You call tech support or your bank. A super friendly voice picks up. You’re relieved. You spend five full minutes explaining your problem, giving your name, account number, phonenumber—even going deep on your issue… And then it happens: “Let me transfer you to someone who can help.”

NOOOOOO.
And the cherry on top? You now have to repeat everything… all… over… again.

Ready for the gut punch?
That’s exactly what your receptionist is doing to every single person who calls your business.
BOOM – Mic Drop Moment.

Now hold up—I love the idea of a good receptionist.
Yes, they answer the phone. Yes, they sound professional. Yes, they make a great first
impression.
But let’s get real – Does she know a similar color to match Blue Dunes when it’s out of stock? Can she de-escalate a K&B dealer freaking out about an install? Is she solving your customers’ problems—or isn’t she just forwarding them to someone’s voicemail anyways?
Point. Made. Again.

So what should be happening?
When a customer calls asking about granite pricing or if you sell Blue Dunes…That’s the moment to become the expert. That’s the golden window to turn a transaction into a relationship. That’s when the customer is silently asking: “Are you the one I should buy from?”

“But what about my receptionist?”
She’s loyal. Been with me for years. She’s great at her job.”

GOOD. I’m glad your first thought was loyalty—not replacement. So no, I don’t really mean fire her. I mean repurpose her. Use her superpowers somewhere that drives revenue: Train her to help sales reps get quotes out faster. Put her on confirming appointments. Have her chase down stock updates on Blue Dunes. Even better—can she sell? Can she educate? Take that legendary personality and plug it into a role that actually grows the business.

Now let’s talk about 3 Steps to Fix This
1. Build a Smart Call Tree

Press 1 for Sales. Always.
And when that line rings, it should ring every sales rep’s phone at once. Let the best rep win.
(Bonus: Flash the call on showroom phones so they don’t interrupt live sales.)

2. Stop calling it “Scheduling”
“Scheduling” confuses the average Joe who just wants a sales appointment. Instead, label it:
“To Schedule your Template or Install Press 2.”

3. {Not So Subtle Plug} Use Grand Onyx’s Call-IQ
We train your reps on Fab Phone Etiquette, AND our AI scores every single call. So you know exactly who’s crushing it…And who needs coaching.

Now what happens? Suddenly — there’s urgency in your sales team. They’re alert.
They’re ready. They’re solving problems — not forwarding voicemails.
So the Moral of the Story… If you’re a Fortune 500 company trying to protect your C-suite from cold calls? Fine—have a receptionist gatekeep.
But that’s not you. You’re the local fab shop that beats big box stores every day of the
week. You know stone like nobody else. You care more. You serve harder. You’re
Artisans. You deliver kitchens that are 10X better. So start answering the phone like it.