Front desk clerks are responsible for welcoming office guests and accommodating any questions they may have. As their designation suggests, they are usually stationed at the entrance or front of the office. They are often the first company employee that a guest encounters upon reaching the office area. Front desk clerks should be familiar with the office space and the employees of the company so that they can effectively direct guests or visitors. Front desk clerks should also have a copy of the general schedule of appointments or meetings in the office so that they can let in guests accordingly. They also often do most of the administrative or clerical activities needed by the front office. They should have great interpersonal skills, patience, and communication skills.

Front Desk Clerk Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real front desk clerk resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
  • Deliver messages and run errands.
  • Job responsibilities consist of being a cashier, bagging groceries, assisting customers, stocking, cleaning, etc.
  • Cross-Train and provide back-up for PBX representatives when necessary.
  • Follow emergency procedures for evacuating property safely via PBX phone.
  • Advertise Ramada facilities by creating fliers, arranging promotions, and facilitating group reservations.
  • Make hotel and other reservations by entering or telephoning requirements; checking availability; confirming requirements.
  • Register new patients and updates existing patient demographics by collecting patient detail patient information including personal and financial information.
  • Help create a more stream line check-in process for VIP clientele to ensure short check-in times while anticipating any additional needs.
  • Utilize Marriott specific reservation and reporting software.
  • Provide excellent hospitality at a premier Marriott property.
  • Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staff appropriately.

Front Desk Clerk Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 36% of Front Desk Clerks are proficient in Reservations, Customer Service, and Night Audit. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Front Desk Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Reservations, 36%

    Advertised Ramada facilities by creating fliers, arranging promotions, and facilitating group reservations.

  • Customer Service, 14%

    Promoted within one year for superior customer service and technical skills including property management and online travel agency systems.

  • Night Audit, 4%

    Conducted night audit to reconcile daily monetary activity.

  • Computer System, 4%

    Recorded personal/confidential information into computer system.

  • Room Availability, 4%

    Trained in monitoring room availability using Opera PMS Systems while fostering strong working relationships with all hotel departments.

  • Guest Service, 3%

    Audited daily transactions and process payments Responsible for providing quality guest service within the guidelines specified by management.

Some of the skills we found on front desk clerk resumes included "reservations," "customer service," and "night audit." We have detailed the most important front desk clerk responsibilities below.

  • The most important skills for a front desk clerk to have in this position are communication skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a front desk clerk resume, you'll understand why: "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." According to resumes we found, communication skills can be used by a front desk clerk in order to "answer any questions that they have concerning their hotel room and things to do around town skills used communication eye contact"
  • Another commonly found skill for being able to perform front desk clerk duties is the following: integrity. According to a front desk clerk resume, "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information." Check out this example of how front desk clerks use integrity: "entrusted with the most complex customer service issues as a result of exceptional ability to promptly resolve concerns and satisfy customers/guest. "
  • Front desk clerks are also known for interpersonal skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a front desk clerk resume: "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "provided a high level of customer service and client relations based on outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. "
  • A front desk clerk responsibilities sometimes require "organizational skills." The responsibilities that rely on this skills are shown by this resume excerpt: "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." This resume example shows how this skill is used by front desk clerks: "used excel to complete night audits and archive organizational data"
  • See the full list of front desk clerk skills.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Front Desk Clerk Resume templates

    Build a professional Front Desk Clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Front Desk Clerk resume.

    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume
    Front Desk Clerk Resume

    resume document icon

    Don't Have A Professional Resume?

    What Receptionists Do

    Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.

    In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take receptionist for example. On average, the receptionists annual salary is $3,902 higher than what front desk clerks make on average every year.

    Even though front desk clerks and receptionists have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, computer system, and telephone calls in the day-to-day roles.

    These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. A front desk clerk responsibility is more likely to require skills like "reservations," "night audit," "room availability," and "guest service." Whereas a receptionist requires skills like "patients," "phone calls," "data entry," and "front desk." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

    Receptionists receive the highest salaries in the finance industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $31,030. But front desk clerks are paid more in the retail industry with an average salary of $28,828.

    The education levels that receptionists earn is a bit different than that of front desk clerks. In particular, receptionists are 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a front desk clerk. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Data Entry Associate?

    Data entry associates are a group of professionals using computers and data processing programs to supply information into a database or documentation platform or to transcribe data via phone conversations or recordings. They can multitask effectively with excellent verbal and written communication skills and perform repetitive tasks accurately with excellent attention to detail. Part of their task is to maintain the database by encoding new and updated customer account information by preparing source data for computer entry, compiling, and sorting information. To be effective, typing speed and accuracy must be considered.

    Next up, we have the data entry associate profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to a front desk clerk annual salary. In fact, data entry associates salary difference is $9,415 higher than the salary of front desk clerks per year.

    A similarity between the two careers of front desk clerks and data entry associates are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "customer service," "computer system," and "scheduling appointments. "

    In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, front desk clerk responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "reservations," "night audit," "room availability," and "guest service." Meanwhile, a data entry associate might be skilled in areas such as "computer database," "data entry," "payroll," and "wpm." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

    Data entry associates may earn a higher salary than front desk clerks, but data entry associates earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $52,978. On the other side of things, front desk clerks receive higher paychecks in the retail industry where they earn an average of $28,828.

    When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, data entry associates tend to reach similar levels of education than front desk clerks. In fact, they're 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How a Data Entry Operator Compares

    A data entry operator is someone responsible for entering collected information into a database using different computer software. Data entry duties include updating customer data, transcribing information, and entering accounting records. Also, it is their responsibility to organize collected data and maintain their accurate record on the database so it can be accessed at any time. Data operators must be proficient in typing skills, keen to details and able to manage a large amount of data. They must also be familiar with using spreadsheets, along with other word processing programs.

    Let's now take a look at the data entry operator profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than front desk clerks with a $4,617 difference per year.

    By looking over several front desk clerks and data entry operators resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "customer service," "computer system," and "telephone calls." But beyond that the careers look very different.

    As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from front desk clerks resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "reservations," "night audit," "room availability," and "guest service." But a data entry operator might have skills like "data entry equipment," "computer database," "wpm," and "word processing."

    Additionally, data entry operators earn a higher salary in the finance industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $38,543. Additionally, front desk clerks earn an average salary of $28,828 in the retail industry.

    Data entry operators are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to front desk clerks. Additionally, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Receptionist/Billing Clerk

    A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies. A receptionist/billing clerk must have excellent communication and analytical skills, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, escalating high-level complaints to the billing management. They should also maintain records of financial documentation for reference and reconciliation as needed.

    The fourth career we look at typically earns higher pay than front desk clerks. On average, receptionist/billing clerks earn a difference of $5,263 higher per year.

    According to resumes from both front desk clerks and receptionist/billing clerks, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "computer system," and "telephone calls. "

    While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "reservations," "night audit," "room availability," and "guest service" are skills that have shown up on front desk clerks resumes. Additionally, receptionist/billing clerk uses skills like patients, data entry, appointment scheduling, and front desk on their resumes.

    Receptionist/billing clerks earn a higher salary in the technology industry with an average of $35,383. Whereas, front desk clerks earn the highest salary in the retail industry.

    In general, receptionist/billing clerks reach similar levels of education when compared to front desk clerks resumes. Receptionist/billing clerks are 0.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.