The Reception Office I

BUSINESS STUDIES FOR JSS2 FIRST TERM

SUB-THEME: EFFECTIVE OFFICE PRACTICE

WEEK 2:

The Reception Office I

Performance objectives:

The student should be able to:

1. Describe a reception office
2. Explain the meaning of receptionist
3. Mention the items found in a reception office
4. State the importance of a receptionist
5. List and explain the qualities of the receptionist
6. Outline the qualities of a receptionist

                                                              

Content:

Meaning of a reception Office

A reception office is where visitors to an organisation are received and attended to. It is the first point of physical contact with a company or an establishment.

Meaning of a Receptionist

A receptionist is a person employed to receive and assist visitors in an organization.

A receptionist receives messages from visitors and directs them to different offices in an organization. a receptionist gives the first impression about an organization.

A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business.

 

A good reception office should have the following items found in the reception office

• Chairs: An office chair for the receptionist and guests while waiting.
• Tables: To hold literature, magazines or to provide the guest with a place to put their briefcase or laptop while waiting.
• Mobile phones
• Wall clock
• Visitor’s logbook
• Calendar and stapler

 

 

Qualities of Receptionist

The qualities of receptionist are listed below:

• A good receptionist must be polite, and friendly especially to visitors
• He/ she must be receptive and be good at relating to people
• A good receptionist must know how to operate the computer
• He/ she must learn how to relate to people
• He/ she must always be punctual/early to work
• Must have the ability to concentrate on specific important matters
• He/ she must be pleasant and show great intelligence to work
• He/ she must be able to work under pressure and yet do what is right
• He/ she must also have a good relationship with the workers of the organization

Duties of a receptionist

The duties of the receptionist can be broadly divided into two

1. Receiving callers
2. Handling telephone duties

Receiving callers: receiving callers and visitors is a very important function of a receptionist because the first impression of the organization is from the receptionist. In receiving the callers/ visitors the receptionist does the following

• Welcomes the visitors politely and pleasantly by saying “can I help you, please?”
• He/ she offers a seat to the visitor
• He/ she directs them to the appropriate officer they are willing to see
• He/ she also receives information from the visitors

Handling telephone duties: The telephone is the most important link through which the organization communicates with other organization/ companies. Any call offers can actually offer an opportunity to promote the image of the organization. In the process of handling the phones, the receptionist must be

• The receptionist should use a pleasant and clear voice
• Must be cautious to the caller and ensure he understands what the caller is saying
• He/ she should keep an accurate message
• The receptionist should be able to pass information through the network