Receptionist Duties and Responsibilities

When we enter any office, the first person to greet us, is the receptionist. She creates the first impression of the company, and also reflects the attitude of the company. A smart, polite receptionist makes a positive impression on visitors and makes them feel confident about the company.

Receptionist Job Description

To become a receptionist, the candidate has to have a high school diploma. Though the qualification required for a receptionist is less compared to other jobs, the responsibilities and duties are more than any other employee! A receptionist has duties similar to that of a secretary, but the difference is that a secretary has to manage the work of only his/her immediate boss, whereas the receptionist has to manage work for the entire office! So, along with the educational qualification, the receptionist has to have many other qualities such as organizational skills, confidence, a calm attitude, a multi-tasking personality, etc. Do you think you have got it in you? Then be ready for lucrative job offers from companies! But before you submit your job application, make sure you know all the duties of a receptionist.

Responsibilities of a Receptionist

"Hello, this is A.B.C company, how may I help you?" - A very familiar, polite, and sweet sound we hear when we call any company, isn't it? Yes, it is usually the voice of the receptionist. You will experience the same sweetness in the voice even at the end of the day, that is the commitment expected from receptionists!

Receiving Visitors and Answering Queries
One of the main duties of a receptionist, is to receive visitors coming to the company. Every person that comes to the organization, first goes to the reception area. So, an important duty of the receptionist is to greet these people, and attend to all their queries. She is expected to be polite, and have a smile on her face. She should also follow proper etiquette, such as not indulging in long or personal conversations with visitors, being present at the desk during working hours, etc. Complete knowledge about the company, and all its employees is also expected.

Answering Calls
Next on the list of receptionist duties is answering telephone calls. While answering any call, the receptionist has to be professional, and follow telephone etiquette. She should maintain a polite tone while speaking, and keep the length of the call as short as possible. She also has to monitor the call, and direct the caller to the concerned employee. For this, she should be well-versed with employee extensions. If the concerned employee is not present, the receptionist should note down the name and message of the person on the phone, and deliver the message as soon as possible. An organization gets thousands of calls every day, so it is necessary for the receptionist to be very efficient in her work.

Paperwork
Paperwork is also included in the duties and responsibilities of a receptionist. Most of the organizations maintain a visitor's register. The receptionist has to make sure that every visitor fills the register. She has to also keep track of all the people who visit the organization. She has to deal with data entry and workplace communication as well.

Other Tasks
There are some more duties of a receptionist such as fixing appointments, faxing, maintaining decorum in the lobby, keeping a check on the visitors, and inform the authorities if there is something suspicious, etc. Another important duty of a receptionist, in service organizations like hotels, spas etc, is to collect fees. The receptionist should be careful while collecting cash, also has to maintain a record of how much money she has collected throughout the day.

There could be lesser or more duties according to different organizations. Hope this article will help you to perform your duties efficiently! All the best!