What is the difference between the front desk and the receptionist?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

The difference between the front desk and the receptionist has to do with the scope of responsibility. A receptionist is more focused on just answering calls and dealing with customer questions, while a front desk professional focuses on check-ins, check-outs, and reservations.

With that said, there can be a lot of overlap between the two positions. In fact, in some smaller companies, both positions are handled by one person.

Typically larger companies require both a front desk agent and a receptionist. At a hotel, for example, the person at the front desk is the one you see at check-in and who typically handles calls to the front desk, except in large hotels.

The primary focus of a front desk employee is to handle all check-ins, check-outs, and reservations. The receptionist at a hotel, on the other hand, is primarily responsible for handling all incoming calls, answering questions, and distributing the calls to the proper department or individual. A receptionist, for example, may direct a call for a reservation to the front desk.

Companies such as hotels with a dedicated receptionist position typically imply that the company receives a large volume of incoming calls throughout the day. In small to medium-sized hotels, the receptionist and front desk agent are usually combined into one position.