A good receptionist will never be out of work, but what exactly makes a good receptionist, and how do you work towards being that invaluable asset that businesses are clamouring to hire?
A truly great receptionist understands that they are the face and voice of the company.
First impressions count, and a receptionist is often the first point of contact anyone has with a business, whether it’s over the phone, via email, or in person.
When someone walks in the door, be that a potential client attending a meeting, a patient in a dental clinic, or a hotel guest, they all want the same thing: a warm welcome, a friendly smile, and efficient service.
You must work well with people and love helping others
You have to be a certain personality type to excel as a receptionist.
You must be a true people person, keen to help others, with an undying sense of enthusiasm and a mission to make everyone happy.
ou can’t bring your troubles to work with you in this job, and if you’re the sort of person who’s grumpy until they’ve had half a dozen cups of coffee in the morning, then being a receptionist perhaps isn’t the career for you.
You need perfect communication skills
As well as that positive mental attitude, you also need to be a superb communicator.
So much of the work of a receptionist involves communicating with others, it’s a vital skill. You’ll need a perfect telephone manner, speaking clearly, and always being polite and understanding.
Empathy is vital in order to build a rapport with everyone you come into contact with. Team these verbal skills with intimate knowledge of the business and its services, and you’re all set to offer the most attentive and beneficial assistance.
But not all communication will be in person or over the phone. It’s likely you’ll also be corresponding by text, both internally with staff members across all departments of the business and with customers.
So your written communication skills also need to be spot on. Any errors, typos, or spelling mistakes will look unprofessional and reflect badly on the business as a whole.
So a good receptionist takes care with their written correspondence and always proofreads everything before they send it out.
We always recommend using tools like Grammarly before sending any documents or professional emails.
You’ll be a super-organized multitasker who doesn’t get stressed
Reception work can get hectic. You never know quite what will happen next. One minute it can be quiet, you’re enjoying a coffee and a chat with a colleague, and the next thing you know a customer is at the desk lodging a complaint, the phone is ringing, a delivery man has arrived with a parcel you need to sign for, and the fire alarm is going off.
You may feel like running away screaming, but a good receptionist will take it all in their stride.
They’ll instantly understand the priorities, they’ll know instinctively that they should let the phone ring out this once as the fire alarm is more important, then they’ll call them back, placate the disgruntled customer, sign for the parcel and everything will be right back on track. In short, the best receptionists are incredibly organized and totally unflappable.
For the receptionist, patience truly is a virtue!
Excellent IT skills are a must
So much of the work of the receptionist involves technology these days, and there’s no time to learn all these skills on the job, so the best receptionists will make sure their IT skills are up to date.
Whether you’re sending an email, booking in a hotel guest, creating staff rotas or troubleshooting the malfunctioning printer, IT skills are imperative in a busy reception environment.
You have to know what you’re doing!
As we stated at the beginning of this article, as the receptionist, you are the face of the company, and so if you are unable to meet the expectations of everyone you deal with, you’re letting the entire business down.
This responsibility can feel incredibly daunting when you’re first starting out as a receptionist and you’re not entirely sure what will be needed of you. The key is to be well prepared, before you even begin your career as a receptionist.
How do you do this prior to scoring that dream receptionist’s job? Well, one of the best options is to take a course in receptionist skills. You don’t need a degree to be a receptionist, but there are courses available of all lengths, to suit all budgets, so you’ll find one that will fit around your commitments and suit your pocket. You’ll learn everything you need to know to be a confident and capable receptionist from the get-go.
And what’s more, with relevant training and certification relevant to being a receptionist on your resume, you’ll stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of success when applying for jobs.
You need to look the part
Image is everything, and as the public representative of the business you work for, your appearance is important.
You need to portray an image of professionalism with your smart, clean, and crisp presentation.
There’s no room behind the reception desk for someone who is scruffy and dishevelled, wearing an unpressed shirt – it just gives the wrong impression.
You must be adaptable and open to change
It’s easy to get stuck in our ways, and when a job has repetitive aspects, and there’s a lot of time pressure, it’s simplest to just keep doing everything the same way, over and over again, with an ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ attitude.
But everything changes, technological advancements become available, and other people will have ideas that you may or may not like, and may have concerns about their implementation.
Change can take time, but it may also save time in the long run. Being a good receptionist means being open to the possibility of change, not shutting people down who suggest alternative methods, but instead, listening with an open mind and accommodating their thoughts.
In addition, there’s always something new to learn, and it’s important to keep your own skillset up to date. Software evolves, processes change, and you need to keep up or else you may find yourself outdated.
Ensure your skills are relevant and you’ll always be useful. Go beyond the basics and study to an advanced level, and you’ll have truly invaluable experience you can share with others, playing your role in the advancement of the business as a whole.
It is all this, and more that makes a good receptionist, but it all starts with you, and your personality. If you have what it takes, you can become a fantastic receptionist if you keep learning, improving and advancing in your career.
