Receptionist skills

Tips and the most important skills which a receptionist should posses

1. Receptionist Skills Hansala Indrachapa

2. Receptionists Receptionists are, by definition, the first person whom a visitor normally sees. 

3. Receptionist Skills

4. Professionalism As a receptionist, you’re supposed to be the first person a client or other visitor sees upon arriving. That means you are responsible for providing everyone’s first impression of your employer. You must therefore embody your company’s ideals, both in your behavior and in your appearance. Look the part. Greet everyone with a smile and a kind word and show that you are happy to help.

5. Communication Skills Communication is very important, since your primary job is to greet people, find out what they need, and help them get it. Most of this communication will be verbal, either in person or by telephone. Besides interacting with visitors, you will also have to work closely with all the various people whom visitors come to see. If an important meeting falls through, you may have to explain why. If someone is having a bad day, you may bear the brunt of it. If an emergency develops in or in front of your place of business, you may be the first person who must respond to it and decide what to do. And always you will have to make sure information flows through you accurately and efficiently

6. Technology Skills Most obviously, you will be using a telephone system, probably one featuring multiple internal and external lines that you must keep operating smoothly. You’ll also most likely need to be familiar with spreadsheets, word-processing software, your company’s email and file-sharing systems, and possibly several social media platforms and your company’s own software solutions. And there will be a copy machine. There is always a copy machine and the paper will always jam. Can you fix it?

7. Organization You will be the nexus of a large part of your employer’s internal communication. That means you’ll not only have to keep yourself organized, you’ll have to keep everyone else organized, too. You may also be responsible for stocking and straightening reading materials or informational resources in your waiting area as well.

8. Multitasking Capability You will seldom have only one thing to attend to. A new phone call may come in while you are still online with the first, so you must greet the new caller and then switch back. Meanwhile, three people might be waiting in person to talk to you. You will have to keep the needs of each person separate in your mind, not neglect anyone, and not get overwhelmed or frustrated. Some people enjoy the challenge. Some do not. If you can multitask well, you can be an asset to your employer and your company, and you'll likely be successful as a receptionist.

9. Friendly A good receptionist should be friendly to visitors and other people that come to their offices. He/she must be able to relate very well with his colleagues and visitors. This does not mean that he/she should play around during office hours; however, having a good sense of humor and ability to make people smile is a quality that makes a receptionist outstanding.

10. Intelligence This is another important quality of a good receptionist. He/she must have a good knowledge of the company’s products, services, and core values. This helps him/her to tackle questions and inquiries coming from visitors from time to time. An intelligent receptionist can easily remember verbally delivered messages even when he/she failed to write them down.

11. Tolerance and Patience These qualities are common with most good receptionists. In fact, they are must have qualities for all front office employees. Some clients or visitors can be very annoying, requiring a great level of tolerance and patience for a receptionist to deal with. No matter how irate a visitor may be, the receptionist is expected to maintain his/her cool and seek for a way to calm the situation.

12.   Likable and Approachable Theses qualities are very important for all front office employees. Aside from being friendly, a receptionist must exude a likable aura. He/she must be a person that visitors feel at ease to approach for inquiries. He/she should not have an intimidating appearance. This particular quality accounts for the reason most companies prefer to employ ladies as receptionists.

13. Self-confidence  A good receptionist must have confidence in his/her abilities. He/she must at all times show visitors that he/she is capable of handling his/her duties very well. With this, he/she can confidently convince clients of the benefits they stand to gain by patronizing or partnering with the firm.

14. SKILLS Customer Service Data Entry Delivering Mail Diplomacy Directing Visitors Email Correspondence Event Planning Filing Forwarding Phone Calls Friendly Front Desk Operations Greeting Visitors Interpersonal Issuing Security Passes Accuracy Administrative Support Answering Questions Appointment Scheduling Assisting Others Attention to Detail Clerical Support Client Relations Communication Computer Confirm Appointments Correspondence Customer Focus Mail Managing Guest Books Meetings Message Taking Microsoft Office Office Duties/Equipment/Support Organization Phone Calls Prioritization Providing Information Providing Reading Materials Punctuality Registering Reliability

15. SKILLS Conti: Research Screening and Directing Calls Self-motivated Switchboard Teamwork Telephone Time Management Validating Parking Passes Verbal Communication Waiting Area Maintenance Welcome Visitors Word Processing Written Communication

16. THANK YOU Hansala Indrachapa