Receptionists still plan an important role in an organization. Receptionists are still the frontlines for visitors and customers to a business. You may field calls or provide valuable administrative skills to help your company’s productivity. If you’re a receptionist, your employer should highly value your efforts to take good care of clients while handling myriad tasks throughout the day. You already do a lot. If you’re looking to improve your skills and add value, we have some tips for how to do it.
Top Receptionist Hard Skills
Technology has to be some of the top hard skills that any receptionist should know. Phone systems are one of the first hard skills that most receptionists know. It’s an important tool for scheduling, following up, and just generally communicating on behalf of your company. But there is also other office equipment such as sophisticated copiers that are put to good use every day in a busy office.
All of this is important but today, it’s your software experience that often can set you apart from any other receptionist. Microsoft Office is usually the bare minimum; almost everyone today uses Word and Excel. Email, which is almost always Outlook, is important. Beyond that, it kind of depends on the company you are in. For example, you may be required to run payroll or use QuickBooks for accounting. Or, you may work with a visitor management system or even Calendly or Google Calendar.
Because a receptionist is a kind of jack-of-all-trades you may do anything from newsletter design to social media. Or, in a bigger company, you may simply answer the phone and file. The trick is to figure out what your company needs and then learn it so you add value.
Top Receptionist Soft Skills
Soft skills are harder to learn because they are the human qualities that make you very good at your job. This could include task management and patience, two skills that are critically important if you’re on the front lines of customer contact. You must know how to be friendly but also direct.
Punctuality is very important but also relationship-building skills with employees and customers. Your emotional maturity in these sometimes-hectic environments can be critically important to taking care of everything from staff issues to customer complaints.
More than anything else, though, your ability to communicate with a wide range of people is exactly what will establish you as a leader in your job. As you know, receptionists are constantly juggling tasks while also handling a diverse array of problems and people. Having good verbal and written communication skills is extremely important to the company. You must also be super patient because the chances are you will be almost continually interrupted. During this, you must be a good listener while also being respectful of the varying needs of your employer and the customers you serve.
If you are a receptionist in an environment that isn’t a good match, consider starting a conversation with PrideStaff Thousand Oaks. Our team has an array of great jobs that will help you hone your existing skills and learn new ones. Call on us to find out more.
