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Desk receptionist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical desk receptionist skills. We ranked the top skills for desk receptionists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 23.8% of desk receptionist resumes contained scheduling appointments as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a desk receptionist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 desk receptionist skills for your resume and career

1. Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling appointments is the practice of finding a free slot with the person(s) you want to meet. The process of scheduling appointments involves finding mutually free time, negotiating follow-ups, sending reminders, and creating new appointments. Scheduling appointments is important to ensure that the timings of consecutive meetings do not clash with each other.

Here's how desk receptionists use scheduling appointments:

Worked with the Student Programs Staff by scheduling appointments, making room reservations, and maintaining student records.
Well-versed in greeting visitors, scheduling appointments, and handling administrative duties.

2. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how desk receptionists use customer service:

Provided reception/welcoming function of agency, delivering exceptional customer service* Answered phones and transferred to the appropriate staff member.
Handled receptionist and administrative duties, and acted as security personnel/disciplinarian, while providing customer service to residents.

3. Front Desk

Here's how desk receptionists use front desk:

Watch security cameras and execute appropriate actions as well as front desk receptionist
Provided hospitality services through effective front desk operations.

4. Check-In

Check-in is the hospital process of registering new patients to the hospital database. It also refers to where patients get their information registered or where patient's kin check for their patient's whereabouts.

Here's how desk receptionists use check-in:

Observed safety and check-in procedure for campus dormitory
Monitor member check-in position through the card scanner at the desk.

5. Emergency Situations

Here's how desk receptionists use emergency situations:

Handled emergency situations, provided fellow students with support/guidance.
Dispatched response for emergency situations.

6. Office Equipment

Here's how desk receptionists use office equipment:

Maintained office equipment and pharmaceuticals inventory by monitoring stock to determine inventory level; anticipated needed supplies and expedited orders for supplies
Provided information to staff and visitors, completed inventory on retail items and successfully maintained office equipment and medical supplies.

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7. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how desk receptionists use telephone calls:

Answer the telephone calls in a professional and courteous manner within minimum rings.
Received incoming telephone calls in a prompt, courteous, and professional manner.

8. Administrative Tasks

Here's how desk receptionists use administrative tasks:

Aided supervisor filing reports and other administrative tasks.
Performed administrative tasks while effectively multitasking other responsibilities.

9. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an often necessary skill in business, employed for processes such as contract negotiations, legal matters, and even personal, emotional situations and conflicts. It is the ability to find and create an appropriate and peaceful solution to some sort of dilemma or argument in which two or more parties are involved. The resolution itself must benefit and satisfy all parties and this is what makes it so difficult to reach a peaceful point sometimes.

Here's how desk receptionists use conflict resolution:

Resolved escalated issues such as; fire alarm systems control, conflict resolution between roommates, and public safety incidences.
Provided conflict resolution and counseling to students with housing issues, and information on University news.

10. Greeting Visitors

Here's how desk receptionists use greeting visitors:

Managed the reception area, including greeting visitors and responding to telephone and in-person requests regarding Sponsoring requirements and product details.
Responsibilities*Managed the receptionist area, including greeting visitors and responding to two busy telephone lines and in-person requests for information.

11. IDS

An IDS (intrusion detection system) stands for a software application or device that monitors a network to identify policy violations or malicious activities.

Here's how desk receptionists use ids:

Served as greeter and swiped IDs to residents; greeted guests and maintenance staff
Facilitated safety of students by verifying IDs of all entrants.

12. Residence Life

Here's how desk receptionists use residence life:

Greeted residents of dorm, as well as assisted students to the Housing and Residence Life offices.
Answered residence life and general university queries both on the phone and in person.

13. Computer System

Here's how desk receptionists use computer system:

Accessed computer system to provide directions to patient's locations, meetings and conferences.
Organize and enter information into the computer system.

14. Front Office Reception

Here's how desk receptionists use front office reception:

Manage front office reception area by cleaning and organizing desk and the visitor lobby.

15. Reception Desk

Here's how desk receptionists use reception desk:

operate the reception desk at the FAMC Creative Community at Belvin Hall.
Covered the Reception Desk when the receptionist was out, and filled in for her at lunch times.

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List of desk receptionist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a desk receptionist resume and required skills for a desk receptionist to have include:

Scheduling Appointments
Customer Service
Front Desk
Check-In
Emergency Situations
Office Equipment
Telephone Calls
Administrative Tasks
Conflict Resolution

Greeting Visitors
IDS
Residence Life
Computer System
Front Office Reception
Reception Desk
Transferring Calls
Direct Phone Calls
Patient Rooms

PowerPoint
Patient Appointments
Multi-Line Phone System
Incident Reports
RAN
Building Security
Direct Visitors
Telephone Switchboard

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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