Have you been in a scenario, where you smartly and confidently walk into an organisation only to get a shock by a cold welcome from the receptionist?! Or where you had a job interview but reaching the company’s reception, you ask for guidance or needed information, only to realise the receptionist isn’t informed about it. So you aren’t given the proper attention and help you need. There is nothing as devastating as not getting the right services, directions, or assistance by those responsible, in this case, receptionists. These are people supposed to direct clients or help them access any service they are looking for. According to Jeanne Nyiramatabaro, a hospitality manager, having a bad impression by a receptionist leaves one questioning the ethics of the company. She notes that being that they are the first people a client comes in touch with, or contacts when in need of clarity or information, if they are inadequate, it’s the management to blame and such behaviour shades a bad imagine about the company, a thing that may frustrate investors, or clients. She also explains that when visitors don’t feel welcomed by a receptionist, they may seem unwanted. “Regardless of how much work is piling up on your desk, or how many emails you have to respond to, it’s just kind enough to welcome visitors calmly with a smile, as that makes them feel that they are in the right place. No one wants to glance at a tough receptionist,” Nyiramatabaro states. The hospitality manager stresses that walking to an empty desk on the other hand, is disheartening at any time as you have no idea where to head. She says that it’s time-wasting having to wait for the receptionist for one hour or more as you watch employees walk past you in confusion of what you’re doing there. According to Indeed Career Guide, receptions should be bilingual, have clerical experience, communication skills, computer literacy, and skills, customer service, and marketing skills. Experts also share that to overcome such incidents, managers or CEOs ought to ensure that the reception has more than one receptionist, such that as one heads out either for lunch, to use the washroom or sent somewhere, another can remain operating. Working in shifts is also advised as it allows the receptionists to rest enough. Having one receptionist can lead to work burnout, because one person gets to work extra time, or has pretty much work to do. Nyiramatabaro believes that receptionists should be well conversant with the company’s information and services before sitting at that desk, because visitors count on them for all the information they need to know about a firm. “Meeting a new front desk officer can also be testing especially when they aren’t fully oriented or just aren’t yet heads up about how the company operates, and in case of queries, they have to give a call to someone else’s office to inquire. This leaves the customer or visitor wondering whether this person got proper training, orientation and skills to perform the job professionally.” She also notes that the reception area should be clean, neat and smell well as that says a lot about the company too.
