Are you giving your temps and clients exceptional service? What is in it for the temp to be represented by your agency? What is in it for your clients to book their temps through your agency? The answers to these questions have something to do with your Unique Selling Point (USP). If you are unclear on the answers then do not be surprised when temps and clients choose other agencies over yours.

Exceptional temp service automatically incorporates exceptional expertise and professionalism. Let's break it down into what that means for the temps and clients respectively:

For Temps:

1. As a professional consultant you must know your professed area of expertisee. if you are a temp consultant, you must be fully conversant with the latest awards and work conditions relevant for your charges in your geographical areas.
2. You must inform and educate your temps on what their rights are as your employees e.g. when & how they will be paid.
3. You must inform and educate your temps on what you expect from them as their employer; what their obligations are e.g. when they must submit a timesheet, how to apply for leave, what to do if sick etc.
4. For every assignment you offer them, you must tell them what they will be doing (if possible give them a written job description), how much their hourly rate is, who they report to and how long they will be required to fulfill that assignment.
5. Whilst on assignment speak to your temp on a weekly basis. Make a concerted effort to visit them on site. Ensure that they are happy and check in to see if anything has changed e.g. duties, length of assignment. Give your temp the client's feedback on their performance.
6. Have a rewards scheme; it may be that for every 3 months in an assignment, they receive a $0.50 bonus for every hour worked as a lump sum provided they get a good report from the client and they've been punctual & reliable.
7. Have a “Temp of the Month” and/or “Temp of the Year” award. Reward and celebrate them.
8. Give them a double Movie Pass if they refer temps or candidates to you.
9. Throw a Xmas party for your temps

For Clients:

1. Again know your area of expertise so you can “consult”. Often clients will use you to assist them with HR, award and workplace issues. Constantly keep abreast of awards, Fair Work Act, casual loadings, unfair dismissal, unlawful dismissal, OH & S requirements.
2. Inform your client of what they can expect from you i.e. knowing when your temps are sick or on holidays, that you will invoice weekly etc.
3. Inform your client what you expect from them to best service them and to keep them within the Fair Work Act and other laws e.g. proper job descriptions, what AWAs, EBAs or awards, they have on site, that they must consent to signing a weekly timesheet for each temp to confirm the hours worked, that they undertake to supervise the temp whilst on their site etc.
4. Whilst temps are on site, speak to your client on a weekly basis to ensure temp is continuously working to their satisfaction. Give the client any feedback you may have from the temps.
5. Do site visits. If more than 4-5 temps offer clients the use of a 'bulk' timesheet and offer to pick timesheets up to save on client's time.
6. Send clients temp appraisal forms, ask them to nominate temps for “Temp of the Month”.
7. If “Temp of the Month” recipient is on their site, arrange a time for a photo opportunity and for awarding the Temp.
8. Give the client advance notice of temp having time off. Offer cross training prior to leave and assign replacement temp.
9. If temp is sick, call client the night before or before start of working day and offer replacement so down time is eliminated.

Exceptional temp service is to never take temps & clients for granted, educate yourself, be professional and the best intermediary you can between your two client groups.