The face of your business is the reception area. By definition, the receptionist is the first member of your company that a visitor interacts with personally. It goes without saying that this initial interaction is crucial since it affects how consumers perceive your business.

That puts a lot of pressure on your front desk agent. Although a kind smile goes a long way, a receptionist’s job entails much more. Thus, it is crucial that they possess superior abilities.

Vacancies for receptionists are increasing once more following two years that were dominated by the coronavirus. The majority of receptionists are female. In the previous year, 85 percent of applicants were female.

If you need employees to staff your welcome area, you should look for the following ten characteristics:

The goal of a competent receptionist is to provide a good first impression and ensure that everything goes smoothly in the office. Here is a list of the qualifications that a receptionist should possess.

1. Communication

By phone, email or in person, receptionists always communicate with people. At the top of the list of desirable traits is consequently having good communication abilities. A good receptionist can effectively communicate information, talk loudly enough, and is skilled in nonverbal cues.

2. Multitasking

The front desk’s phone is inundated with calls on the busiest days. People might be holding out for a personal welcome in the meanwhile. It’s time to set up appointments, deliver messages, and finish off some administrative work.

Continually balancing a variety of tasks is the job of a receptionist. It’s critical that they are able to switch duties without stumbling, while also considering everyone else’s requirements and avoiding burnout or frustration themselves.

3. Sociability

Naturally, a receptionist needs to have a wide range of social abilities in order to interact effectively with clients, coworkers, and guests. A poor reception experience can quickly leave a terrible impression. Thus, a key responsibility is to greet guests with a smile and warmth.

4. Organization

In an office complex, the reception room is frequently the spot with the best organization. So it ought to be. A cluttered desk not only gives the wrong image to guests but also signals the beginning of difficulties because missing documents are simple to find and data laying around is against data protection laws.

Therefore, the ideal receptionist is very organized. They must be able to recall phone numbers and files.

5. Technical abilities

Most receptionists are familiar with sophisticated phone and email setups, word processing software, and copiers. But being knowledgeable about the most recent technologies is a huge asset in a world where everyone is becoming digital. Receptionists need to be familiar with systems for managing rooms, smart parking, and registering visitors.

6. Ability to handle stress

Receptionists need to have steely nerves. As they must manage numerous jobs and visitors at once, they frequently work under extreme pressure. They frequently have information requests, phone calls, or new visitors interrupt them as they work, but they quickly resume their tasks. But they must keep their composure and attention.

7. Problem-solving 

An ill visitor, a forgotten appointment, a disappointed client… Every day, dozens of problems may occur. The receptionist’s role is to remain composed and come up with a solution. Receptionists are frequently the first to react and make decisions in emergency situations.

8. Compassion

Every organization occasionally encounters a customer who is unhappy, anxious, or frustrated. Receptionists must pay attention to these visitors’ concerns, maintain composure and empathy, and avoid denying the issue in order to put them at ease.

9. Dependability

It’s critical that you can trust receptionists because they interact with practically every client and worker. No business can afford to have a visitor wait at an empty front desk or an unanswered phone call.

A receptionist must be able to operate independently, be on time, be reliable, accept responsibility, and deal with issues as they arise.

10. Visitors Management

The administration of visitors is mostly the responsibility of receptionists. To maintain security, they must monitor everyone entering the building. They also have responsibilities for welcoming guests and managing their records.

Many businesses will employ visitor registration software in 2022. Receptionists may focus on their many other duties, such as making sure guests are welcomed and making a good first impression, by automating the registration of visitors and the administration of their data.

Visitorz.io is one of the software which manages visitors. It is based on a touchless visitor management system that uses QR scanning. Utilizing this visitor management software is hardware-free, and it offers all visit reports. It offers some incredible features, such as the host’s appointment system, which allows visitors to plan meetings and make appointments in advance, minimizing long waiting times. There are many other additional features.

How to enhance your abilities

Do you want to work as a receptionist? You can do a number of things to enhance your abilities.

1. Improve communication abilities

Since effective communication is essential for a receptionist, you should practice it whenever you can. On the phone, enhance your active listening skills by listening carefully to what the other person is saying and summarizing it. During group meetings, you can work on your communication skills.

2. Develop professional conduct

All day long, receptionists must conduct themselves professionally. Putting everyone you encounter at the same professional level is an excellent approach to put this into practice. Treat the mailman with the same respect you would an executive in your firm, for instance.

3. Make a note.

You will be more organized and detail-oriented if you take notes and document everything.

4. Improve dependability

To greet clients, take calls, and execute other duties, receptionists should be present at their desks at all times. Make availability a top priority by being ready to assist at all times.

5. Excellent technological skills

Receptionists frequently handle a variety of administrative activities, including setting up appointments for clients and customers, as well as greeting guests and returning phone calls. Various hardware and software are frequently needed to complete these administrative chores. Many employers already demand that receptionists have prior expertise in utilizing phone systems, printers, copiers, and MS Word and Excel.

However, it can also be a huge advantage to be familiar with industry-specific software. For instance, having prior experience with tools like Calendly or Google Calendar to organize meetings for important staff members can be quite helpful. These tools can ease the process of registering guests.

Receipt takers need a variety of technologies and tools, but it’s difficult to foresee which ones will be required in the future.

Although it can be challenging to predict which tools and technology will be crucial in the future, receptionists need to be adaptable and quickly study new applications. If you or your team members lack significant technological abilities, it is crucial to show that you are willing to learn new things and experiment with new technologies.

6. Outstanding emotional intelligence and soft talents

Since you are the organization’s gatekeeper, along with other personnel that interact with customers, you must possess great soft skills and emotional intelligence. Today’s consumers and visitors can be challenging to handle, and one negative customer review can do serious damage to your business. In fact, 39% of customers will avoid a company for two years after a bad customer service experience.

While the hard skills needed for customer service are often given more attention, it’s important that any customer-facing staff have empathy, friendliness, punctuality, and key relationship-building skills. Heather Dallas from the BDJ team says it’s important to look for receptionists with strong emotional intelligence during the interview process. Ask questions to get some examples of what their mindset and enthusiasm are like. “You can train people in skills like time management, telephony, and technical skills. They want to do the job and have good interpersonal skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, connecting with people, putting themselves in the patient’s shoes, which is very important, etc.”

7. Fantastic Communication Skills

Visitors who enter the workspace, callers, and employees checking in and out are all interactions that receptionists have on a regular basis. They are in charge of replying to internet emails and dealing with basic customer service issues.

It’s difficult to juggle administrative and customer service duties, particularly when you’re frequently interrupted. Receptionists need to be strong communicators, which is why this is becoming more and more necessary. Receptionists need to develop their listening skills, use active listening techniques, communicate information clearly and succinctly, and show empathy and respect for others if they want to help people understand it quickly and accurately. In order to compose and proofread business emails, you should also have strong writing and editing skills.

8. Excellent Time Management Skills

As was already indicated, receptionists have a full day of work ahead of them. Being continuously interrupted while juggling all of these obligations might reduce productivity. It’s a good idea to invest in time management skills if you and your team feel that you can’t get everything done in a day.

You can structure your job efficiently to achieve goals if you have effective time management abilities. Setting SMART goals for the short and long term is an excellent place to start. Additionally, you can concentrate on scheduling your time more effectively and organizing your schedule. If you’re still having trouble completing all the necessary duties, think about delegating (where it’s possible) and planning your tasks in advance. Additionally, since multitasking reduces productivity by 40%, you should avoid doing it. To manage your time more efficiently, we advise using software tools like a time tracker or other SaaS solutions that can keep you organized

9. Independent Approach to Work

Receptionists must be independent employees because they are frequently cut off from the main office. Having multiple receptionists on staff can increase morale and output. If you are the sole front-desk employee at your organization, however, you must demonstrate great initiative and be prepared to complete your duties even when your manager or boss is not there.

Receptionists frequently need to work on specific initiatives or help particular executives in addition to their administrative duties and welcoming guests. In these situations, the receptionist must modify the previous job description to meet the brand-new specifications. Despite the fact that every organization is unique, receptionists who can think on their feet, have excellent problem-solving skills, have a happy attitude, and are constantly eager to learn typically function well in any environment.

A receptionist’s contribution to a company is crucial. They create the first impression for visitors entering an establishment, which can have a significant impact on how customers perceive the company. Additionally, they frequently offer crucial administrative support and can assist with specific projects. Even though the receptionist’s function is changing, the receptionist should be adept in the following 5 areas: technology, emotional intelligence, excellent communication, time management, and an independent work style.

You’ll be fairly rewarded:

A receptionist could seem to make very little money. The first compensation may be lower, it is true. Your revenue will, however, increase dramatically as you get more experience. The average annual salary for a receptionist is around $35,000, which may surprise you. Your compensation also differs according to the industry you work in. While a hotel receptionist’s annual salary can reach $20,000, a hospital employee’s can reach close to $30,000, and a corporate receptionist can reach $40,000 annually.

Join Visitors’ free trial today if you’re interested in assisting yourself, your team, or your receptionists in upskilling and becoming more time-efficient.