Role of a receptionist

Defining the role of a receptionist is important.

For many companies, the receptionist is often the first point of contact any incoming customer or caller has with that company.

It is often the receptionist's role to ensure that all of these callers and customers are taken care of and that a good business image is given to the public. If a customer is treated poorly by the front-desk staff, it is likely that they will have a negative image of that company and may not return.

The receptionist is truly a manager in charge of first impressions, responsible for shaping the interactions that a customer will continue to have with the company.

What do they do?

Traditional duties performed by reception staff include answering the telephone, screening and directing calls to other staff members, providing basic information to callers, sorting incoming mail, meeting and welcoming visitors, and keeping the reception area tidy and well maintained.

With the increased use of technology, many receptionists find that they are taking on increasingly more complex duties.

With the increased use of computers, the role of a receptionist has changed.

Many employers expect front-desk staff to have advanced hardware and software skills.

The receptionist now adds creating word documents and templates, spreadsheets, mail merge, and using and maintaining a customer relations database to all of the "traditional" reception duties.

Using an answering service

With all of the tasks that receptionists can handle, it can be hard to be truly productive while still answering every incoming telephone call.

Many companies are choosing to use an answering service to assist their daytime receptionist staff with call handling. While phones are being answered by an answering service, reception staff can handle data entry, payroll, filing, bookkeeping, and receivables collection - all without worrying about the phone calls.

Answering services can help a receptionist do more for their company! If you would like more information - give us a call! Contact us and we'll be happy to talk with you!