Customer Service and Reception Duties
First contact, lasting impression
Reception is the organisation's front door. The candidate must understand the practical duties: greeting visitors promptly, confirming appointments, signing visitors in and out, issuing and recovering visitor badges, notifying the host, maintaining the reception area, and handling telephone calls with a consistent greeting that names the organisation and the speaker. Security and courtesy are not in conflict - a visitor who cannot be admitted without an appointment should be helped, not simply turned away.
Handling complaints and difficult situations
A workable complaint sequence: listen without interrupting, acknowledge the feeling, gather the facts, explain what you can do and by when, act, and follow up. Never promise what you cannot deliver, and never argue. Escalate when the matter exceeds your authority, and tell the customer you are escalating.
Traps to watch
- Leaving a visitor unattended in a secure area, or failing to recover a badge.
- Giving out information about staff or customers to an unverified caller.
- Saying "that's not my department" instead of taking ownership and transferring with a name and reason.
- Letting a telephone ring unanswered while chatting - aim to answer promptly and offer to call back if research is needed.
- Overpromising a resolution date.
Worked example
A caller demands to know whether a named employee is at work. Correct handling: decline to confirm or deny, offer to take a message and pass it on, and record the call. Confidentiality outranks apparent helpfulness.
Rule of thumb
Treat every visitor and caller as you would want to be treated, but verify identity before disclosing anything.