A receptionist is an employee taking an office/ support position, where his basic responsibilities including the front desk duty of providing support services to the clients including their queries and questions and administrative support in a company. The receptionist job area is usually front desk or front office position where s/he would be the first person to welcome the guests and providing support to callers, guests and reception work for administration. The Title “Receptionist”is greatly applied to the person employed in an organization where his/her basic responsibility would to receive or greet any visitors, patients, or clients and answer telephone calls. Receptionist also performs the administrative support of calling the prospective customers, suppliers or other businesses which are related with that organization and setting appointments, administration’s meetings.
The main business duties/ job responsibilities of a receptionist may include answering visitors’ inquiries about a company and its products or services, directing visitors to their destinations, sorting and handing out e-mails, answering incoming calls on multi-line telephones or, earlier in the 20th century, a switchboard, setting appointments, filing, records keeping, keyboarding/data entry and performing a variety of other office tasks, such as faxing or sending emails to clients. Some receptionists may also perform bookkeeping or cashiering duties just like in some small hotels and restaurants.. Some, but not all, offices may expect the receptionist to serve coffee or tea to guests, and to keep the lobby area tidy. A receptionist may also assume some security guard access control functions for an organization by verifying employee identification, issuing visitor passes, and observing and reporting any unusual or suspicious persons or activities. A receptionist is often the first business contact/representative a person will meet at any organization. It is an expectation of most organizations that the receptionist maintains a calm, courteous and professional demeanor at all times regardless of the visitor’s behavior. Some personal qualities that a receptionist is expected to possess in order to do the job successfully include attentiveness, a well-groomed appearance, initiative, loyalty, maturity, respect for confidentiality and discretion, a positive attitude and dependability. At times, the job may be stressful due to interaction with many different people with different types of personalities, and being expected to perform multiple tasks quickly.
Depending upon the industry, a receptionist position can be considered a low-ranking and dead-end or servile position, or it could be perceived as having a certain veneer of glamour with opportunities for networking in order to advance to other positions within a specific field, as a misconception among the people. Some people select this type of job as a way to familiarize themselves with office work, or to learn of other functions or positions in an organization. Some people use receptionist work as a way to earn money while pursuing further educational opportunities or other career interests such as in the performing arts or as writers and selecting this a part time earning opportunity.
Purpose and scope of Receptionist Job
The Receptionist is responsible for providing secretarial, clerical and administrative support in order to ensure that municipal services are provided in an effective and efficient manner. The Receptionist reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for providing office and clerical services. Failure to provide these services in an efficient and effective manner will result in disruptions in the provision of services.
Major responsibilities
The major responsibilities which are concerned in a receptionist job description are,
1. Provide office support services in order to ensure efficiency and effectiveness within the Company. Office. Main Activities including,
- Receive, direct and relay telephone and fax messages
- Direct the First Nations Members and the general public to the appropriate staff member
- Pick up and responding the mail
- Open and date stamp all general correspondence.
- Maintain the general filing system and file all correspondence
- Assist in the planning and preparation of meetings, conferences and conference telephone calls
- Make preparations for Council and committee meetings
- Maintain an adequate inventory of office supplies
- Respond to public inquiries
- Provide word-processing and secretarial support for the administration.
2. Perform clerical duties in order to maintain the administration support work. Here the main activities including
- Develop and maintain a current and accurate filing system
- Monitor the use of supplies and equipment
- Coordinate the repair and maintenance of office equipment
- Manage the administrative staff meetings, appointments and recording the memos.
- Administrative support provision including the contact to suppliers, customers and giving detailed information about company.
In Many hotels and restaurants the receptionist staff is considered the first impression.