The Reception Office and the Receptionist

The reception office and receptionist is the first contact office which is well furnished can decorated to create good and lasting impression in the mind of visitor. It is an office where visitors or callers are welcomed and attended to. The office is well equipped with telephone, newspaper, journal, magazine, computer, fan and others.

A receptionist is an employee charged with the responsibility of receiving and directly visitors in a reception office.

Importance of a receptionist

1. The receptionist is important to receive and direct visitors

2. He/she creates awareness about the arrival of a visitor

3. Receptionist helps to keep and give necessary information on behalf of the staff

4. He/she is important to receive telephone calls on behalf of the organisation.

QUALITIES OF A RECEPTIONIST

1. She must be neatly and smartly dressed

2. They must be polite and patient

3. She must have a good knowledge of the organisation and its personnel

4. She must be courteous

5. She must be fluent in speaking English

6. She must be punctual and be committed

7. She should have a pleasing personally

8. She must be cheerful

Exercise: (i) Who is a receptionist?

(ii) Mention four qualities of a receptionist

DUTIES OF A RECEPTIONIST

The duties of a receptionist can be divided into two namely:

a. Receiving callers or visitors

b. Handling Telephone calls

A. RECEIVING CALLERS OR VISITORS

1. She receives visitors warmly

2. She must make an appointment with visitors

3. She makes visitors comfortable while waiting for an office

4. She must receive and give information concerning the organisation

5. She must direct the visitors correctly

6. She must pleasantly and politely receive visitors with the use of “can I help you, please”?

B. HANDLING TELEPHONE CALLS

1. She must use clear and pleasant voice with short answers

2. She must keep a log of calls

3. She must not disclosed unauthorised information

4. She must write down the message received from telephone calls

5. She must answer the call with the name of the organisation or department and not her name

6. She must say thank you at the end of the call

HOW TO RECEIVE AND TREAT VISITORS

The kind of approach given to visitors will determine whether the visitors are warmly received or not. These are cogent things a receptionist must know:-

1. Approach – e.g. know what to say to them

2. Assistance – e.g. offer a sear or direct well

3. Attention – e.g. be attentive, listen to them

4. Solution – e.g. provide solutions to their problems

5. Conclusion – say welcome sir/ma and thank you at the end

Appropriate Office Dress Code

“Dress the way want to be addressed”.

There are major dress codes which are:

i. Casual dressing

ii. Official/formal dressing

iii. Occasional/ceremonial dressings