How to Be the Best Receptionist

There may be many receptionist jobs out there, but in this current economical climate there are also many well-qualified people chasing these jobs. Therefore if you want to stand out from the rest and secure the job as your own you will need to have the receptionist equivalent of 'The X-Factor'. Here are a few tips on being the best receptionist your company will ever have.

1. Be polite.

As receptionist you will most likely be at the front line of your company and therefore you are the first impression of what any potential new clients may see of your company, therefore it is up to you to create the right first impression so that clients want to stay around to find out what the rest of the company has to offer. Remember apply this to anyone who may come into your offices as even if they are not potential new clients themselves they may recommend you to someone else if they leave with a good taste in their mouth. Even if you are rushed off your feet don't be short with people, take a deep breath and deal with each thing in turn you will be a much more effective receptionist with this attitude rather than rushing through peoples queries.

2. Be punctual.

It is very important that you are on time; after all you don't want to have to leave potential new clients waiting on the door step while you flap around trying to open up the reception area to greet them. This would not say much about your company's reliability and may make new clients think twice about doing business with you. After all if the receptionist cannot make it on time what are the employees behind the scenes doing?

3. Be efficient.

There may be times when as a receptionist you have many people waiting with questions to be answered and other times when there is no one around and you have all your paperwork for the day done. A golden rule is always keep yourself busy, if you have no people to deal with then make sure that the reception area is clean and tidy, sort the old magazines out or tidy up old notices. If you keep yourself busy and someone unexpected comes in it will give the right impression that you belong to a successful business, whereas if you are sat there twiddling your thumbs it gives out a message that your company is not doing so well. Another tip for maximum efficiency is to set up a rota of jobs which have to be done each day, plan when you will do each of these and how much time you are going to designate to each task, but remember always leave room for some unexpected task to be handed to you.

4. Be prepared to multitask.

There may be times when you are called to do tasks that may not be on your job description, always be prepared to help out whenever possible. Not only will this give you a chance to learn new skills but it may open up a whole new world of potential for you and your place in the company. When employers see someone who is willing to help out they will view that person much more favourably when it comes to pay rises and promotions. Also don't be afraid when an employer asks you to do a task you would not normally have to do, they are well aware that you may not have done that before and therefore will accept that you may not be 100% successful with it but they may also get a pleasant surprise when you show you are capable of so much more.

So there you have it, it may sound like common sense. But, as the saying goes, "common sense is not very common." If you apply all of these to your working patterns you will not only find yourself happier and more confident in your job but your employers are also bound to notice the difference to.