Transcripts
1. Introduction to the Course: Welcome on board. Being a career receptionist
can actually be an incredibly fulfilling
career path in itself with great
earning potential. For many people visiting
an organization, you are the first and the
last person they will see. You are the one who puts
a face to the company, the one who dictates
how a visitor feels about the place
from the very beginning. Many people underestimate just how important
a job this is. Being the first point of
contact within a business is a vital role and not one
that can be taken lightly. Receptionists are often
talented multitaskers, able to manage multiple
ongoing situations without breaking a sweat. In many companies, individuals are hired for their
great computer skills, the ability to speak to people, or their organizational skills. You could go into the
worlds of medicine or law, working as a medical
or legal receptionist, you could step up and become
an office manager or take the move into customer service if you enjoy working
with the public, being a receptionist opens up a lot of other
doors and can give you the skills and experience you need to enjoy
a fruitful career. So in this class, we will learn
the role of receptionist, skills needed to become a
professional receptionist, different types of receptionist
roles, telephone skills, conflict resolution and
dealing with difficult people, communication skills,
and many more. So if you're looking
for a new role and they're looking for
something rewarding, fun, and with great prospects, take this course
and find out why becoming a receptionist could
be the right move for you
2. Role of a Receptionist: Role of receptionist. A receptionist is an employee taking an office or
administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as
a lobby or front desk, of an organization or business. The title receptionist is
attributed to the person who is employed by an organization to receive or greet
any visitors, patients or clients, and
answered telephone calls. Term front desk is used in many hotels for an
administrative department where a receptionist
duties also may include room reservations
and assignment, guest registration,
cashier work, credit checks, key control, as well as mail and
message service. Such receptionists are often
called front desk clerks. Receptionists cover
many areas of work to assist the
businesses they work for, including setting
appointments, filing, record keeping, and
other office tasks. What does the receptionist do? Receptionists typically do
the following answer, screen, and forward telephone calls, greet walking guests
and other visitors, escort them to
specific destinations, contribute to the security of the office by helping to
monitor visitors access, obtain or send information or
documents using a computer, mail, or fax machine. Perform other administrative
support tasks such as keeping appointments
calendars, copy, file, and maintain documents and records, collect,
sort, distribute, and prepare mail and
courier deliveries, process and prepare travel
vouchers or other documents. Although some tasks are
common to most receptionists, they specific
responsibilities vary depending on their
work establishment. For example, receptionists in hospitals and in doctors'
offices may gather patients personal and
insurance information and direct patients to
their proper waiting room. Corporate headquarters,
they may greet visitors and manage the scheduling of the boardroom or common
conference area. In factories, large corporations,
and government offices, receptionists may provide identification
cards for visitors and arrange for
representatives to take visitors to
the proper office. Those working for business
and train companies respond to passengers
inquiries about departures, arrivals, stops, and
other related matters. Receptionists use the telephone, computer, and other
electronic devices. Despite the widespread use of voicemail or other
automated systems, many receptionists still
take messages and inform other employees of the public of customers arrivals or
cancellations of appointments. When they are not busy, receptionists are
usually expected to help other administrative
employees by doing a variety of office tasks. Receptionists job
duties, welcomes visitors by greeting them in
person or on the telephone, answering or
referring inquiries, directs visitors by maintaining employee and department
directories, giving instructions, maintains security by following
procedures, monitoring logbook
issuing visitor badges, maintains telecommunication
system, by following manufacturer's instructions for house phone and
counsel operation. Maintains continuity
among work teams by documenting and
communicating actions, irregularities and
continuing needs, contributes to team
efforts by accomplishing related results as needed,
receptionist skills. The receptionist represents the public phase of a business. She is often the first
person a customer sees or the first voice
he hears over the phone. Because of this,
it's important that the receptionist
conducts herself in a professional manner to give customers a good
first impression. Certain qualities and skills
can help make receptionists better at the job and portray the company
in its best light. These are positive attitude,
organizational ability, telephone skills, and
good listening skills. So positive attitude. Whether over the
phone or in person, the receptionists attitude
comes true loud and clear. It's been said that callers can tell when a person is
smiling over the phone, and they can surely
tell when she is not. Receptionist's positive
attitude tells potential and current customers that the business is
interested in them and their needs,
organizational ability. An organized receptionist
makes everyone's job easier. She knows where to find
the documents, files, and phone numbers her boss, co workers, and customers need. A receptionist must also be
able to work independently, keep herself on
track and accomplish her tasks without
direct supervision. The ability to
prioritize is essential, as the nature of the job
requires frequent multitasking. In addition to answering the
phone and taking messages, a receptionist must type correspondence and
respond to company email and answer questions
from people on the phone and in person,
technology skills. Office technology is
constantly changing, and receptionists
must be able to operate a variety of
equipment and systems. Phone systems usually have more than one line and
multiple functions. Computer skills are a must, particularly word
processing and email. Receptionists, who also know spreadsheet, desktop publishing, or other industry
specific software have additional skills
that are in demand. If the Copia or other general machines are
near the reception area, the reception will often be asked for help
with them as well. So her ability to master additional technology
as needed is vital. Dependability. When the
phone goes unanswered during normal business
hours or a line of impatient customers waits in front of the empty
reception desk, it reflects poorly
on the business. A receptionist is counted on to be at the desk on
time in the morning, be prompt returning from lunch, answer
correspondence quickly, and give accurate, reliable information about the
company to all inquiries, good listening skills,
taking the time to listen is essential to
the receptionist's role. Good receptionists
listen closely as clients are talking so they can be efficient in solving their problems or
answering their questions. Through active listening,
she can connect visitors and clients with the right
department or personnel quickly. It's also an ideal way to learn new skills quickly and
advance in her career.
3. Importance of a Receptionist: Portent of receptionist. The receptionist is quite often the first person
that a customer, candidate or client interacts with when making contact
with an organization. So they are essentially the face and the voice
of your company, and for this reason, they play an extremely important role in the representation
of an organization. Here are a few reasons
why your receptionist could just be the most important
person in your office. First impressions,
receptionists are often the first person and
sometimes the only person that people have contact with when getting in touch
with an organization and the initial judgment
of the business are based on their experience
with this individual. First impressions
are a driving force in business, and therefore, your receptionist is extremely influential as their appearance, manners, knowledge, and helpfulness reflect on the entire company.
They are resourceful. Always seem to have the
solution for problems that crop up at the most
inconvenient of times. A great receptionist
is able to think fast, solve complications,
and ensure that clients and customers feel that
they are in good hands. They can always handle
tricky phone calls and make sure that everyone's
schedule are on track, keeping on top of everything that makes the
business run smoothly. They are a jack of all trades. Can rely on the receptionist for their flexibility
and the ability to adapt to new situations, whereas most employees in
the office will focus on their own duties and do not necessarily get involved in
other areas of the company. The receptionist interacts
with people throughout the whole organization and will get involved
in all departments. Have a high awareness of the goings on throughout
the business for this reason and are very well knowledgeable
about the company, making them the ideal person for customers to go to
with questions. They possess enviable
organizational skills. Thanks to our receptionists, other employees have the time to get on with the work they are really there to do and is the most valuable
use of their time. Time management is one of the real strong points and receptionists are
great at juggling jobs and are also
able to organize the duties of other staff
members to when necessary. They always know where to find
documents, phone numbers, and email addresses you need
without a second thought, and they are always
available to take messages and get in touch
with necessary individuals. They are great communicators. Communication skills
are their best asset, and not only do they
have the ability to speak well and convey
information clearly, they are also great
listeners and are always willing to respond to
clients needs and requests. Know how to keep their calm
when under pressure and will never become flustered at several ringing phone lines, email requests, and people
waiting at the front desk.
4. Professional Receptionist Roles: Different types of
receptionist and roles. Front desk receptionist. The front desk line or
the face of the company, the receptionist
greets people as they come in and
answer phone calls. They may be tasked to
do some data entry, reporting, and keeping
track of visitors. It's important for
receptionists to have excellent customer
service skills as they will need to give great first impressions
to first time visitors to the company responsibilities,
greeting visitors. The primary duty of a
front desk receptionist is to greet business visitors.
When guests arrive warmly welcomes them, sometimes taking their coats and
provide refreshments. She may also answer
basic questions regarding the business such
as hours of operation, as well as provide
customers with a brief explanation of the products and services
the firm offers. In addition to in
person greetings, a front desk receptionist is responsible for answering
all incoming calls. Depending on the size
of her employer, she may use a sophisticated
telephone system to accomplish this task. Screening calls as requested, she routes them to
the proper recipient, taking and relaying messages as needed. Distributing mail. In some organizations, a
front desk receptionist oversees the distribution of
incoming and outgoing mail. When mail arrives, the
receptionist sort it, eliminating junk mail, and identifying those of
the highest priority. Then he distributes it in a manner his employer
has prescribed. He or she may either hand
deliver each piece directly, its respective
recipient or place the parcels in an appropriate
interoffice mail slot. Receptionist also signs for priority or overnight
packages as they arrive. On a daily basis, he prepares outgoing
mail for pickup by the postage service
or overnight courier, weighing each letter and
package using a postel scale, applies the proper amount
of postage to each piece. An individual of business
needs documents in a rush, the receptionist contacts
the messenger service and provide all necessary
instructions, administrative duties. A front desk receptionist also performs a variety
of clerical tasks. She or he drafts correspondence, prepares financial spreadsheets, and creates presentations. In addition, she manages the calendars of
senior team members, as well as organizes necessary business
travel arrangements. She orders office
supplies, files documents, makes photocopies, and
send and receive faxes. In some instances, she may also perform light
bookkeeping tasks. Legal receptionist,
legal receptionists are the gatekeepers of a law
firm or legal department. They work at the front
desk in the law firm, lobby or waiting area, greeting clients and visitors and answering incoming calls. Since the receptionist is often the first person with whom
clients and visitors interact, he or she is important
to the image of the firm and must be polished, professional,
and articulate. Working as a legal receptionist
is a great way to break into the legal field or get your feet wet
at the law firm. Legal receptionists
have the opportunity to network with all levels of personnel within
the law firm from copyroom staff to
senior partners, as well as clients,
opposing counsel, legal vendors, and
other visitors. Here's a list of
specific duties, tasks and responsibilities that an individual working
as a receptionist in a law firm may be
expected to carry out responsible for answering
switchboard phones, routine calls to
appropriate offices, and taking down messages. Greet visitors and clients as
they walk into the office, provide assistance in
sorting incoming emails, as well as in processing
outgoing emails. Responsible for
keeping a record of appearances in court and
for scheduling meetings, keep calendars and records of supplies inventory
for the office, create various forms of
effective correspondence, and perform data entry and general administrative
tasks such as scanning, filing of documents,
organized catering, bookrooms taxis and couriers, may serve refreshments
at meetings. Provide support to paralegals,
the office manager, and office staff for the smooth operation of the business, medical
receptionist. A medical receptionist is an integral part of a high
functioning healthcare team. Doctors, nurses, and other medical and
administrative staff members rely on the medical receptionist
to create a friendly, welcoming and well
organized front office for patients and to facilitate the
flow through the facility. Responsibilities of a medical
receptionist may include welcomes and greets
all patients and visitors in person
or over the phone. Answers the phone while
maintaining a polite, consistent phone manner using
proper telephone etiquette, responsible for keeping the reception area
clean and organized, registers new
patients and updates existing patients
demographics by collecting detailed
patient information, including personal and
financial information, facilitates patients flow by notifying the provider
of patients arrival, being aware of delays, and communicating with
patients and clinical staff. Responds to inquiries
by patients, prospective patients, and
visitors in a courteous manner, keeps medical office
supplies adequately stocked by anticipating
inventory needs, placing orders, and
monitoring office equipment, protects patient
confidentiality, making sure protected health
information is secured by not leaving PHI in plain sight and locking off the computer before leaving it unattended. School receptionist,
School receptionists are the gatekeepers
at elementary, middle, and high schools. Greet visitors and parents, answer the phone and
schedule meetings for school administrators. Their job is blend
of customer service, clerical and secretarial work. School receptionists work at all sizes and types of schools, and their exact responsibilities vary based on the school
at which they work. In general, they support
the administration and staff and facilitate communication
throughout the school. School receptionist duties
and responsibilities. School receptionist is
often the first point of contact for people who call
or visit a school campus. As such, they should
be prepared to handle a wide range of
inquiries and requests. An analysis of school
receptionist job postings revealed wide range of responsibilities that
the job entails. Here are some of the core duties of a school receptionist. Greet visitors, parents, and students, school
receptionists, answer phone calls,
greet visitors and provide information
to parents and students. They are able to
provide information on a variety of topics,
including rules, disciplinary measures, and day to day operations
of the school, facilitate communication
within the school. School receptionists
share information broadly with
administrators, teachers, and students' families
through email, flyers or phone calls, ensuring that
necessary information is properly transmitted. Keep records.
Keeping a variety of records is an important part of a school receptionist's job. They keep records of
phone calls and visits. They also maintain records of school operations such as registration and
class schedules, bus scheduling and routes, academic transcripts, and parent contact information,
schedule meetings, many schools, school
receptionists are in charge of the activities
and meetings calendars. They schedule events such as
parent teacher conferences, back to school nights
and staff calls. Some school receptionists also manage the principal's
daily calendar, organizing his or her meetings and helping them
stay on schedule.
5. Communication Skills for Receptioonist: Communication skills
for receptionist. Communication is
the way in which we transmit
information, knowledge, ideas from one person to another
or to a group of people, communication skills
for receptionists. Communication is the way in which we transmit
information, knowledge and ideas from one person to another or
to a group of people. In any company large or small, communication is vital for the company to
function effectively. The four main methods
of communication are the spoken word
direct face to face. Written word, example, letters, emails, diagrams, posters,
notice boards, et cetera. The use of telephone systems, including fax machines,
answer machines, et cetera, nonverbal
communication, body language, communication,
internal and external. Communication may be either
internal or external. Following are examples of the written communication,
written messages, secretaries and receptionists
are always conveying urgent and non urgent messages from patients or
other professionals. It is vital that the
messages do not get misled and that appropriate
action is taken. They should contain the date and the time the
message was received, the name and address, and
telephone number of the color, the name of the intended
recipient of the message, a clearly written
and concise message, the name or initials of the person taking the
message, memorandum. Memorandum memo is an internal written communication
which may be used to convey short messages
and information to individuals or to all
the healthcare team. Your surgery will no doubt
use a memorandum form. Notice boards.
Notice boards can be used to convey information
to visitors to the surgery. Notice boards should be positioned so that
they are readily visible and accessible to all who are expected to
see the Noicebard. Notice board should be
relevant and kept up to date. Perhaps you could
nominate a member of the reception team to keep
the Noicebard up to date. Use the Noiceboard to inform patients of important
dates. Example, flu clinics, baby immunizations, asthma clinics, et cetera. Practice leaflets, booklet. Having a practice booklet
will let you new patients and existing patients know
what goes on in a surgery, opening times,
healthcare clinics, and emergency contact numbers, especially how to contact
the out of hours. Always make sure your practice
booklet is kept updated. Leaflets can be issued
when you have an event in the surgery that is not
in your practice booklet. Your practice
should have written protocols to communicate
to members of the team. Written protocols
contain standards of quality and should
be written so that all members of the team
involved in the task fully understand the procedures and thus achieve objectives. External written
communication, letters remain the most widely used method
of written communication. Secretaries should be trained to provide a high standard of letter writing and have some knowledge of
medical terminology. Letters are used to communicate
with health authorities, PCTs, health boards, medical
professionals, and patients. For example, a GP write referral letters to
hospital consultants. Hospitals send discharge letters
and reports back to GPs. Computers nowadays provide a networking facility
linking hospitals, PCTs, and health authorities, laboratories, and
medical practices, telephone communication, Telephone callers only have a tone of voice and
words to go upon. Any frustrations felt at
the time of answering the phone will be conveyed to the caller in the
tone of the voice. Understandably, by 1030
on a busy Monday morning, it might be difficult for a stressed receptionist to make an incoming
caller feel welcome, difficult but nothing possible. How does your organization work in regards to answering
the telephone? Is the telephone answered
at the front desk? Along with booking
patients in or out, perhaps a receptionist answering the telephone should
be away from the desk at the busy periods so they can give the caller
their full attention. Telephone inquiries,
secretaries and receptionists receive numerous
telephone inquiries during the course of
their working day. They may be typing
lengthy reports running a busy surgery or clinic or retrieving
data from the computer, but the telephone inquiries
and requests continue. Maintaining the balance between conflicting demands is part of the job and the telephone caller should never be given
the impression that you, the receptionist, is too
flustered or annoyed at being interrupted and too busy to deal
with their request. Answer the telephone as
promptly as possible, announce the practice
and give your name. I suggest first
name is sufficient. Establish the caller's
identity and try to help. Deal with the call as
efficiently as you can. If you need time, suggest
you call them back. This frees up the phone for another call and saves asking
the caller to hold on. Golden rules when using the
telephone, always be polite. Do not eat or drink
while you are speaking on the telephone
or at the reception desk. Do not hold two conversations
at the same time. Return to the caller at
the regular intervals. If you are keeping them on hold, if you are unable to help
the caller yourself, call on someone who can, if necessary, take the
details and call them back. Dealing with people
face to face. In contrast to telephone
communication, where the only
indicators are words and tone of voice in a face
to face encounter, there is the
additional dimension of non verbal communication. These are the signals
that are given out and picked up
sometimes subconsciously, but which cause a reaction every bit as strong as
the words and tone. The medical secretary or receptionist also
needs to constantly bear in mind the fact that clients are likely
not to feel well, be anxious about what
is going to be done to them if they are patients
in a medical practice. The doctor may say, unconcerned about the effects of the illness on the family. These feeling make
patients stressed and therefore more sensitive
to off hand treatment. From the moment they
are dealt with, they need to feel that they are the only and only concern
of the receptionist.
6. Telephone Skills - Part 1: Telephone skills.
Let's talk about telephone etiquette.
The right attitude. So much of excellent
telephone etiquette has to do with having a positive
and professional attitude. When answering a call, the caller should hear
the smile in your voice. A customer or potential
clients first impression of your business may
be when they first place a call seeking
more information. This first impression should be one of friendly
professionalism. The receptionist or anyone answering the telephone
should speak with a clear tone in a kind manner and avoid
speaking too quickly. The answerer should
also identify his or herself to the caller a sloppy phone manner is a quick indicator of an
unprofessional business, as is the terrible habit of eating and chewing gum
while on the phone. This should always be avoided. Excellent telephone
etiquette involves a great attitude at all times and a focus on
premium customer service. The right words, not only is
a Stella attitude important, but proper telephone etiquette
require the right words, the receiver should speak
using polite language. After identifying his or
herself to the caller, the receptionist should inquire about the nature of the call. Depending on your
business procedures, the receptionist can transfer the call to the correct party. When transferring a call, always let the caller know to whom they are
being transferred and provide them
with a phone number in case the call
gets disconnected. This makes it easier for the caller to reconnect with
the correct individual. Right information. You
receptionist and other employees should all be equipped with the right information
to give to callers. When a client's call
must be returned, let the client know
when they should expect a return phone call and who
will be contacting them. All employees should be aware of general business
information so they can easily provide answers
to customer questions. Which include information
such as business hours, important addresses
and phone numbers and other company policies. It is important that
every caller has a good experience when contacting your business,
the right message. If a client calls for
someone who is unavailable, the receptionist or receiver of the call should take
down a detailed message. Many businesses
provide employees with message notepads that have spaces for all
desired information. Receptionist should also ask
for the name, phone number, and title if applicable
of the caller, as well as who the call is for, when it was made, and
what is regarding. This will help streamline the entire telephone process
for all and, of course, make sure all messages
go to the correct party to make sure that calls are
returned in a timely manner.
7. Telephone Skills - Part 2: Telephone skills, part two. Four rules for receptionists. Rule number one, love
the ringing phone. Start by understanding when the phone rings,
it's a good thing. If the phone quit ringing, a company wouldn't
need a receptionist. Understand that when
someone steps up to your counter or desk,
it's a good thing. If people quit
visiting your desk, a company would need
a receptionist. Rule number two, love your job. Nobody in the private
sector ever got promoted for being crappy at their job or openly hating it. Learn to love it, and you just might find yourself
moving up quickly. Rule number three, leave
the attitude at home, leave your issues and
attitude at home. Your interactions are
generally too brief to gain empathy or sympathy
from those you encounter. So drop the attitude, keep your problems to yourself, and do everything you can to deliver an exceptional
customer experience. Rule number four, the customer should become your passion. Customer is not always right, but they are always
the customer. Your job is not to scold or correct them or even
teach them a lesson, especially when
they are at fault. Your job is to
cheerfully help them speak to or see whomever
it is they need. You have the most important
job in the company. Though, just like every
great leader I know, every great receptionist I've ever worked with was humble. While you are indeed the most important
person in the company, you diminish your importance if you become self righteous. Keep your mind in a positive
side and you will do great. Great people don't want to be
around negative co workers. So let's tackle the basics. Your goal should be to answer the phone by
the second ring. Time is perceived
differently by the color, and three or four
or even five rings can seem like eternity to
someone needing assistance. Smile. And if you've got the
room for it, use a mirror. This is phone
training one oh one. Remember, the three E of
the perfect receptionist. Annunciate with enthusiasm,
so you can be effective. Let's try this. Thank you for
calling Bob's donut shop. This is Steve. How could
I direct your call? Direct the call enthusiastically with a standard phrase such as, it would be my pleasure
to transfer your call, Mr. Johnson. Hold, please. If the requested
individual is unavailable, either on the phone or wait, be honest with the caller
and cheerfully offer the assistance that best
fits the situation. My apologies. Mr. Johnson
is on the other line. Would you like to wait on Hold or would you prefer to
leave him a voicemail? Give the color a polite
thank you when they answer your question and direct
them accordingly. Thank you. I will place you
back on hold and transfer you the minute
Mr. Johnson is free. That's handling a call
with all E's in place. Enunciate with enthusiasm
so you can be effective. Why all three Es? Well, what if you
answered like this? Bob donuts, hold, please. The callers have no idea that you are totally
swamped today, and frankly, they don't care. Though coming back with an abrupt how may I
direct your call is not going to make that
perfect first impression your company is counting on. By the way, speeding
through your greetings and transfers do not
make you more efficient. Spitting through your
greetings usually means you'll be repeating yourself more
often than you'd like. Just remember to
always ennunciate with enthusiasm so
you can be effective. Screen calls and
visitors appropriately. For example, if someone on your team doesn't care
who is on the phone, then don't ask callers, can I tell him who is calling? This can infuriate a
potential customer. Especially hate having calls screened when they are
returning someone's call. We know the three Es of being
a perfect receptionist, nunciate with enthusiasm,
so you can be effective. Well, there are two
more Es that are important to remember
every time and everything. As in do this every time
you answer the phone, consistency is the key to being a great receptionist
and everything, as in write everything down. Listen carefully to the name of the person the color
is asking for. Repeat it back to the color
if necessary. Write it down. Why? Because if the coll
bounces back to you, you make the company sound
incompetent when you ask, who were you holding for? If they provide the name or any other fact, write it down. Why? Because if your manager wants to know about the color, you need to be certain of the name and other
facts they provided. If the number is visible, write it down. Why? Because when not if they get
disconnected and call back, you can add your apologies about the disconnection when they ask for the same
person second time. Stay on top of all transfers, write down the time of the call. This is critical in
case you are asked later about who called
and when did they call. Keep your hold times
under a minute. Again, time is perceived
differently by the caller, and a minute can often seem too long when you
are stuck on hold. You also manage a
reception desk, one that greets visitors
to your business. If so, here are some quick tips. The person in front of you is slightly more important
than the ringing phone, but balance this correctly. Acknowledge the in person
visit as soon as possible. This might be a nod
or a smile at first. Don't underestimate
the amount of time the person on the
phone will need help. Ask them hold if necessary. The three E's are just
as critical here. Annunciate with enthusiasm,
so you can be effective. However, enthusiasm really shows now grid delivery
delivers postal workers, vendors, and repairmen with the same professionalism and enthusiasm as any other visitor. And finally, remember
the words matter, so get in the habit of using the following
phrases constantly, as these words can help
you break down barriers, diffuse band situations quickly. Words and phrases
such as, thank you. Please, you are welcome. My pleasure. Good
morning, good afternoon. Have a great day.
Have a great weekend. If you say this with a smile and a feeling of genuineness, you make your
visitors and colors feel good and you make
yourself feel good.
8. Listening Skills - Part 1: Listening skills.
Being a good listener can help you to see the world
through the eyes of others. It enriches your understanding and expands your
capacity for empathy. It also increases
your contact with the outside world by helping you improve your
communication skills. Good listening skills
can provide you with a deeper level of
understanding about someone's situation and helps to know what words are
best to use or which words to avoid as simple as listening and acknowledging
may seem doing it well, particularly when
disagreements arise, Take sincere effort
and lots of practice. Listening with an open mind, one place yourself in the
other person's shoes. It's easy to get lost
in yourself and to only consider the impact of the other person's
telling on you, but active listening is blocking
by your inward thinking. Instead, you must open out
and look at the problems from the other person's
perspective and assume that if you had
been in their shoes, you would have come to the
same conclusion and not seen your way through the
problem any faster than them. By being a good listener, this can also help you become better friends with the person by getting to know
more about them. Remember that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. This means that you should be listening more than
you are talking. It's more beneficial to
listen than it is to talk. When listening to people
engage in the conversation and make eye contact so they know that you care about
what they are saying, even if you don't care,
it is still polite. People who listen more
are more observant and therefore more thoughtful and have a better
understanding of things. Make sure you really are listening and not
doing something else. Try to make sure you are
completely focused on the person who is talking
and not get sidetracked. Make sure you are making eye
contact with the person, not someone else
or something else. Instead of immediately
judging the person who is speaking or coming up with
a solution right away, just take the time to
listen and to look at the situation from the
other person's perspective. Think about how
you would feel if someone was silently
judging you. Will help you truly hear the
person instead of forming your own opinions before you truly understand the
situation at hand. To avoid comparing the person's
experiences to your own. Though you may think that
the best thing you can do to really listen is to compare the person's experiences
to your own. This is far from the truth. If the person is talking about dealing with a
death in the family, you can share some wisdom, but avoid saying, that's
exactly how it was with me. This can come off as
offensive or insensitive, especially when you
compare something really serious to your own less
intense experiences, such as comparing
the person's divorce to your three months
long relationship. This may cause discomfort
to the person talking. You may think that this
is the best way to be helpful and to
approach the situation, but this type of thinking
is actually reductive and can make the person feel like you are not really
listening at all. Avoid saying I or me a lot. This is a good
indicator that you are focusing more on yourself than on the other
person's situation. Of course, if the person knows that you've had
a similar experience, then he or she may actively
ask for your opinion. In this case, you can offer it, but be cautious
about acting like your experiences are exactly
like the other people. This might seem as though
you are just trying to make fake situations
to seem helpful. Three don't try to
help immediately. Some people think that
when they are listening, they should also have their
gears turning to find a quick and easy solution
to the person's problem. Instead of this attitude, you should take what
the person saying at face value and take
the time to think of a solution when the person
is speaking and only if he or she is really
looking for help in this way. If you start frantically
thinking of all of the quick fixes for
the person's problems, then you won't
really be listening. Focus on absorbing everything the person is saying to
you only after that, can you really try to help limit distractions. We live in a society that is filled
with so many distractions. We are constantly
listening to so much noise that it's a challenge to truly
listen to another person. In order for you to
be a good listener, you need to limit distractions
during your conversation, whether it be the television, telephones or interruptions. It takes a mental decision
to limit distractions when you are listening to
someone else for sympathize. Show them that you
care by noding at appropriate times so they
know you are listening. Also say little things such as, when the person is talking about something that they
want you to agree on, you can tell by the
tone of voice or Wow, when the person talks
about a tragedy or something bad
done against them, saying these words shows them that you are
not only listening, but also paying attention. Say these words at the
appropriate times and softly so that you don't come off as
overbearing and interrupting, try to appeal to your sensitive side and comfort the person
if in distress. But on the other
hand, most people do not want to be pitted, so comfort them but don't make yourself seem
higher than them. Five, remember what
you've been told. One important part of being
a good listener is to actually absorb the information
the person has told you. So if the person is telling you about the problems
with his best friend, Jake, and you've never
met this guy before, you can at least
remember his name. You can refer to him that way, making it seem like you are better acquainted
with the situation. If you don't remember
any names, details, or important events, then it won't sound like
you are listening. It's okay if you don't
have a razor sharp memory. However, if you keep
having to stop and ask for clarification or keep
forgetting who everyone is, then yeah, you won't come
off as very good listener. You don't have to remember
every little detail, but you don't want the person
who is speaking to feel like they have to repeat themselves 1 million
times either. Six, follow up. Another important part of being good listener is that you go beyond just hearing
the person out, having a conversation, and
never thinking about it again. If you really want to
show that you care, then you should ask
the person about the situation the next time
you are alone together, or even shoot him
or her text or give a phone call to see how the
situation is progressing. If it's something serious
like impending divorce, a job search, or even
health complications, then it can be very nice to show that you care
by checking in, even when you are
not being asked to be put off, however, if they
don't want to follow up, accept their decision, but tell them you are always
there to support them. The person who talked
to you might be touched that you made
the effort to actually think about him or her
beyond your conversation and to even check in to see
how he or she is caring. This takes your listening
skills to the next level. Of course, there's a
difference between following up and
nagging the person. If the person talk to you about how she wants
to quit her job, you probably don't want to send a text every day asking
if she did it yet, or you will be putting
unneeded pressure on the situation and creating
stress instead of helping.
9. Taking Messages: Taking messages, despite
the prevalence of automated telephone
answering systems with voicemail and phone trees, many companies still rely on human beings to
answer phone calls. The receptionists and
administrative assistants responsible for answering calls, greeting visitors, and
taking messages are often the first point of interaction between the company
and a customer. This critical role demands
courtesy, professionalism, and competence when it comes
to relaying information from a caller to a company
representative, Workplace setup, if you are the employee responsible for taking
telephone calls, set up your workspace so that your phone and message taking
supplies are convenient. Ensure that the ringer
is loud enough that you can hear it when you
are away from your desk. Use a spiral bound
message book with carbon copy pages
to record messages. The copy will provide a permanent
record of your message, including date and
time of the call. Answer courteously
answer a call with a courteous greeting and state
the name of your company. Use your organization's
preferred greeting, which may be something
like WXY company, how may I direct your call? When you are speaking
to a visitor in person, start with a pleasant greeting followed by how may I help you? Speak clearly and don't eat, drink or chew gum, while speaking with people
on the phone or in person. Respond professionally. Exercise professional courtesy
in every interaction. Ask the caller or visitor whether he would
mind being put on hold or waiting while you contact the person he
wishes to speak to. Today, I would like to recommend a number of tactful responses. Rather than she is out, I don't know where she is or
she's in the ladies' room. A more professional
answer would be, she has stepped
out of the office. Would you like to
leave a message? Instead of she's busy or she doesn't want
to be disturbed? Simply say she's not
available at the moment. While call is on hold, don't keep him waiting beyond a convenient
period of time. If you are holding for the other party to
come to the phone, let him know and
give him the chance to leave a message
or call again later. Tell your caller if you must transfer him to another line, remain calm and courteous. Even if the color is rude or irritated, write the message. If the cooler wishes
to leave a message, write down the information, starting with the caller's name. Ask for the correct spelling
if you are in doubt, write the caller's phone number, including the area code extension
and the company's name. Ask about the nature of the call and add the information
to the message. If the cooler wishes
to provide it. Also ask whether there
is a good time to return the call to avoid
playing phone tag. Finally, write the date and time of the call and
your own initials. See that the message is
delivered to the proper person. Things to remember
when taking messages. Always use a proper
notepad or message book. Do not use a sticky pad. They are too small and often get stuck in
another piece of correspondence
causing the message getting lost or not getting
to the correct person. Date the message
when it was taken. Often a message is not read
on the day it was taken. Time the message was taken. This is also very important. At time can quite often
be significant and give a wider meaning to the message to the person who's
receiving the message, especially if the
message is read sometime after it was taken,
who the message is for. Quite often, the message might be for a specific person
or the whole team. You may need to put or the
attention of Alison Smith, reception team leader or for the attention of
the reception team. The message is from. Always take the name and contact
numbers from the color. Never presume that the
person the message is for will have the contact
number, sign the message. It is important to let the person know who
has left the message. If they have a question
regarding the message, they know whom to contact. If they have a query regarding
the message, remember, a message you take
could be used in a court hearing and
used in evidence. Take evidence. The evidence would include the date
the message was taken, the time it was taken, and who took the message.
10. Presenting and Appearance: Presenting an appearance. Presenting yourself well, have a positive attitude. As mentioned before,
receptionists are the face of a company. They are who clients deal
with first and the people who answer the questions of people who can't come into the office, no one wants to be greeted by a sore expression and
a grumpy attitude. Make it a priority to
always have a smile on your face and a cheerful,
upbeat personality. Remember to stay patient
with challenging customers, even if they get on
your last nerve. Even if you come up with
a challenging client, remind yourself that you are
a strong, happy individual. Tell yourself that you are
acting out of frustration, but know that as long as you are trying your best to
accommodate them, you are not the one at fault. It's better to be
the one that keeps your head than the
one he explodes and looks like an
ordinary mean person to have a greeting ready. It's always important to greet your clients
in a friendly way. Even if you continue what you are doing before
helping them, it's important to greet
them so that they feel acknowledged and know that you will help them in a moment. Some greetings are, Hi, welcome to Business Name. Or good morning. If
you'll have a seat, I will be with you
in just a moment. R B courteous, be respectful. Treat everyone like they are
the most important person that has walked into the office that day.
This is your job. Nobody cares about how you got stuck in a traffic this morning, how you ruined your
brand new purse or even how you lost
your favorite book. Leave personal matters at home. Even if you don't
respect their message or the way they
convey it, fake it. Overall, make sure
that person is totally relaxed and
happy to talk to you. For dress to impress, you are representing a business. That you should dress the part. Invest in some business
casual clothes. Alternatively, if you are a receptionist at a
specific sort of store, such as clothing store, you may consider
dressing the party by buying some of the store's
clothing and wearing them. T to the conservative unless you work
somewhere where fashion, trendiness, or other factors
are pushed to the forefront. Check to see if your business
has a specific dress code. Your business may be
fine with casual dress. Just remember that you should
never dress too casually. Sweats should be banned
from the workplace. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of appearance
as a receptionist. You are the first person a clients when they
enter your business, and we all know how important
first impressions are. Grooming is paramount. Hair should be clean
and well styled. Clothing and hairstyle should be appropriate to the
work environment. Obviously, if you are working
in an attorney's office, you will likely be
required to present a very professional
appearance with conservative hairstyle
and business dress. In other words, leave
the piercings at home. However, if you're working in an avant garde
graphic design firm, you may be expected to dress in a much more fashion
forward style. Whatever the workstyle
of your office, make sure you meet the
standards of dress and grooming applicable
to your situation. The appearance of a front office receptionist
is important, and a dress code
should be enforced. His personal hygiene must
be well attended to, and his overall grooming
should be neat and orderly. If your company has
a casual dress code, it should be noted that certain pieces of clothing
are not appropriate, such as short skirts
and revealing tops. If the person has tattoos, these should be covered up. First impressions matter and
the way you look and carry yourself creates an impact on people you get along
within the work setting. Of proper grooming may lead to poor image and may
interfere with your chance of getting a good impression and positive feedbacks from your
workmates and superiors. Professional standards
in the workplace. In today's competitive and
more than business world, it's highly essential
to adhere with professional appearance and
grooming for the workplace. If you have the desire
to look your best at all times in social and
professional settings, you need to keep in mind the following basic guidelines for good grooming
in the workplace, but it differs for various
organizations wear business suits in basic
colors always be neat clean, including your
teeth, fingernails, face, hair, and even your shoes. Keep your pockets empty
and as much as possible, avoid tinkling coins
or keys and bulges. Avoid eating candies, smoking cigarettes,
and chewing gum. When you are inside
of the office, use portfolio case or light briefcase when carrying important documents with you, instead of compiling
these documents into folders and carrying these
between your armpits, as much as possible, get rid of tattoos and body piercings, for these will just make you look untidy and unprofessional. Wear light perfume and cologne and minimize using
lots of jewelry.
11. Confidentiality Checklist: Confidentiality checklist. All members of staff should have appropriate training
in confidentiality, and this should be reinforced
on a regular basis. Reinforce the message regularly. Design your waiting area so that the public cannot overhear or see other patient
information. Make sure patients cannot read previous patients records
on your computer screen. Make sure your computer is facing you and not the patient. When talking to a patient
at the front desk, make sure that you
are not giving out personal information
that can be overheard. Remember, when a visitor to your surgery signs
the visitor's book, they must be asked to read the confidentiality
statement before signing. All visitors, including
contractors and other outside agencies should be signing the visitor's book. All patient records should be
kept in a lockable cabinet. When disclosure is required in circumstances that
are out of ordinary, please seek advice
from your manager. Do not discuss clinical
management with a colleague where members of the public could overhear the conversation. If necessary, check
the identity of the telephone caller who requests medical information
about a patient. If unsure, take a name and
number entering the bank. When disclosure is requested in circumstances that are
out of the ordinary, seek advice from a
senior receptionist or a senior member of staff.
12. Being Organised as Receptionist: Being organized
as receptionists, it's not a facetious reference
to call receptionists, directors or first impressions. Receptionists are
the first point of contact for clients
and visitors, making it vital that they are professional and set an
appropriate tone for the company. This isn't possible
without a high level of organization in the
front desk, workspace. A clean desk ensures that the important paperwork doesn't
get lost in the shuffle and that visitors to
the front office get a good impression about
how the office is run. Set up zones on your desk
to organize materials such as telephone and message
pads, mail, and files. Zones help you get to
things quickly and facilitate multitasking by keeping tasks
from overlapping. Use attractive organizers for office supplies such as pens, memo pads, and paper clips to keep things neat
and accessible. Hospitality,
receptionists work in a wide range of industries
in offices of all sizes. Most have at least a
small reception area. Keep it neat and well stocked with courtesy
items for visitors, such as company business cards, brochures, magazines,
and tissues. Fill an elegant
cup with pens and pencils and place it
in a prominent place, particularly if you supply job applications or other
paperwork for visitors. Start each day checking that refreshments are available
to serve to visitors. Filing system, label separate
inbox and filing trays to keep paperwork from
becoming overwhelming. Dedicate time to file paperwork, such as the last half hour
of the workday and build in enough time to account for
interruptions from coworkers. And visitors, neatly label filing cabinets so you don't rely on memory to find things, to make documents
accessible to coworkers, when you are out of the office, make a text map of
your filing system, labeling cabinets with
a letter or number, and listing on your map what
is filled in each cabinet. Keep the map in an easy
to find place calendars efficiently transfer
telephone calls, greet visitors, and help
facilitate meetings. Receptionists need to know
the whereabouts of employees. A good visual system that also enables other employees
to know if co workers are available is a
magnetic dry erase board with employee name and
columns for in and out. With a glance at where
a magnet is placed, everyone know who is
in the office use an electronic calendar
system to schedule meetings. Send meeting invitations and track vacation and sik
leave for employees. Backup. Receptionist need to take regular breaks
and go to lunch. Ensure that a dedicated
backup system is in place so that the reception
desk is never unattended, coordinate with administrative assistant or office managers to fill in during your breaks and
create a schedule so everyone knows who is supposed to staff the front
desk and when. Make arrangements well in advance when you have
a vacation scheduled and ensure that there is a contingency system in
place if you are ill
Mackenzie Wilson
