Receptionist Duties: Responsibilities of a Receptionist

When we enter any office, the first person to greet us is the receptionist. She creates the first impression of the company, and 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 low compared to other jobs, the responsibilities and duties of a receptionist are more than any other employee! A receptionist has duties similar to the secretary duties, but the difference is that a secretary has to manage the work of only his/her immediate boss, whereas the receptionist has to manage the work of the whole office! So, along with the educational qualification, the receptionist has to have many other qualities like organizational skills at work, confidence, a calm attitude, a multi-tasking personality, etc. You think you have got it in you? Then be ready for lucrative job offers from companies! But before you submit your job application, understand the receptionist duties.

Responsibilities of a Receptionist
"Hello, this is A.B.C company, how may I help you?" This is the very familiar, sweet sound we hear when we call any company. Yes, it is 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 of receptionists! Following is a receptionist duties list.

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, the major duty of the receptionist is to greet the person and answer all the queries he has. While answering the queries, the receptionist should be polite and have a smile on her face. This is a part of receptionist duties and responsibilities. She should also follow job etiquette such as not indulging in long or personal conversations with visitors, being present at the desk at all times, during working hours, etc. She should also have complete knowledge about the company and its employees.

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

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

Other Tasks: There are some more duties of a receptionist such as setting 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 and maintain a record of how much money she has collected throughout the day.

These were the receptionist duties. Hope this article helps you to perform your receptionist duties and responsibilities efficiently! All the best!