What Does a Front Desk Receptionist Do?

Front desk receptionists are usually the first contact of clients or visitors in an office or building. They are responsible for welcoming and receiving guests, documenting guests' arrival and updating the visitor logbook, informing hosts and other involved employees that the guests have arrived, and directing the guests to where they should go next. They also man telephone lines, schedule appointments, receive packages or mails, and answer office visitors' questions. Front desk receptionists are expected to be personable, knowledgeable on office-related activities, and familiar with everyone.

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Front Desk Receptionist Responsibilities

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

Accomplish computer work using a PMS system; OperaXpress.
Collect and distribute mail and packages, prepare FedEx shipments and manage online postage machine.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic
Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Check In/Out, EHR, AMD, answer multiple lines, verify patient demographics, verify insurances, greet patients.
Register new patients and update established patient demographics utilizing the EMR program.
Organize office operations such as preparing payroll.
Provide information to customer inquiries and needs as related to booking and settling hotel accommodations.
File paperwork fax paperwork answer phone calls book guest rooms computer skills Microsoft office experience PowerPoint presentation
Register new patients and update existing patient demographics by collecting patients detail information including personal and financial information.
Answer phone and run errands.Check library books in and out.
Associate and understand different booking companies
Coordinate appointments and schedules for veterinarians and pet owners.

Front Desk Receptionist Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as a front desk receptionist is "should I become a front desk receptionist?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, front desk receptionist careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 5% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a front desk receptionist by 2028 is 59,300.

On average, the front desk receptionist annual salary is $31,050 per year, which translates to $14.93 an hour. Generally speaking, front desk receptionists earn anywhere from $24,000 to $39,000 a year, which means that the top-earning front desk receptionists make $13,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become a front desk receptionist. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a receptionist/customer service, receptionist/billing clerk, switchboard operator, receptionist, and receptionist secretary.

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12 Front Desk Receptionist Resume Examples

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Billy Perry Front Desk Receptionist Contact Information San Diego, CA (300) 555-4864 bperry@example.com Skills Complete Understanding Customer Service Financial Statements Scheduling Appointments Data Entry Greeting Patients Facility Tours Food Preparation Sanitation Standards Special Requests Employment History Front Desk Receptionist 2020 - Present San Diego County Credit Union San Diego, CA Answer phones Check guests in & outOrganize front desk areaCreate reservations Night Audit General Managers: David Mello and Kathy Prado [ ] Answer and direct all telephone calls for the whole dealership. Front Desk Receptionist 2019 - 2020 H&R Block San Diego, CA Answered busy phones, taking messages and relaying information. Inventory Cash handling Point of sale purchases Multiple phone line experience Daily customer interaction Daily cleaning Scheduling appointments Sales Call customers in the event that communication is required. Sandwich Artist (Part-Time) 2014 - 2015 Subway Albuquerque, NM Prepare food orders Provide customer service during food preparation and check-out Clean the food prep and dining areas Closing procedures/preparing deposit Experience in Customer Service, Food Preparation and Sanitation knowledge, Teamwork Cleaned/disinfected food preparation stations, dining areas, and restrooms. Maintained quality, safety and sanitation standards. Education Doctoral Degree Medical Assisting Services 2016 - 2019 Bryan College El Cajon, CA Master's Degree Medical Assisting Services 2015 - 2016 Remington College Colorado Springs, CO Bachelor's Degree Nursing Assistants 2012 - 2015 Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque, NM


Austin Gonzales Front Desk Receptionist Contact Info San Antonio, TX (730) 555-7734 agonzales@example.com Skills Patient CheckVIPDifferent FamiliesTelephone CallsInfantOffice PersonnelSocial NeedsPersonal HabitsQuickbooksMRI Employment History Front Desk Receptionist 2017 - Present Gold's Gym San Antonio, TX Maintained cleanliness and presentation of front desk area. Provided superior customer service for all members and potential members of the gym. Clean equipment and front desk area Input costumer information in to computer system. Assisted in processing new members and entering their data into the database. Receptionist 2014 - 2017 Gold's Gym San Antonio, TX Worked closely with Pharmacy Care Representatives (PCRs) in providing excellent patient care. Answer all incoming telephone calls and resolve any customer complaints or billing problems. Balanced the business transactions for the day using the POS system. Child Care Provider 2013 - 2014 Gold's Gym San Antonio, TX Opened child care department within the facility, started program from the ground up. Worked with management to ensure a safe environment. Supervised child care area and all childcare staff. Worked in child care center watching children Worked in housekeeping, keeping the gym clean and up to standards. Education High School Diploma 2013 - 2013


Justin Diaz Front Desk Receptionist Milwaukee, WI (260) 555-2928 jdiaz@example.com Experience Front Desk Receptionist2019 - Present Best Western International•Milwaukee, WI Assist with upkeep of cleanliness and organization of lobby and front desk area. Front desk/ Night auditor Bilingual Receptionist Cash handling Reservations Answering multi lines Nurse Receptionist2014 - 2019 The Blackstone Group•Chicago, IL Maintained the cleanliness and neatness of the front desk area. Register guests Cleaning front desk area Night audit Answering phone Check guest in and out do night audit make sure coffe is fresh and ready to be Answer phones Check guests in & outOrganize front desk areaCreate reservations Night Audit Answered incoming telephone calls, determined purpose of callers and forwarded to appropriate department/individual. Baby Sitter2013 - 2014 Boys & Girls Club•Milwaukee, WI Maintained safe environment Escorted youth on an ongoing basis Worked in rotated schedules Event Planning Communicate effectively with the children and their parents, as well as with other child care workers. Clarified child care requirements: Education, food choices, medical conditions, personal habits, restrictions of children aged 1-7. Skills Insurance CompaniesChild CareCornerstoneAdministrative TasksAppropriate IndividualsSmall ChildrenNutritious MealsAppropriate CurriculumSafe EnvironmentTelephone Calls Education High School Diploma 2013 - 2013

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Front Desk Receptionist Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 23% of Front Desk Receptionists are proficient in Patients, Check-In, and Phone Calls. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Customer-service skills, and Communication skills.

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

Patients, 23%
Registered new patients and updated existing patient demographics by collecting patients detailed information including personal and financial information.
Check-In, 12%
Established accurate accounts for each guest upon check-in according to their requirements and ensured guest paperwork or documentation was filed appropriately.
Phone Calls, 10%
Manage receptionist area, including greeting visitors, responding to telephone calls and scanning identification information.
Reservations, 10%
Communicated with previous shift, organized shift and review reservations and updated contingency.
Customer Service, 10%
Provided friendly customer service by greeting members and answering calls regarding gym information; acknowledge by management for great communication skills.
Appointment Scheduling, 5%
Performed front desk duties including- -Answering phone calls-Booking appointments-Checking in clients/ cashier-Appointment Scheduling/ Payroll Processing-Salon assistant including assisting with clients i.e.

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Some of the skills we found on front desk receptionist resumes included "patients," "check-in," and "phone calls." We have detailed the most important front desk receptionist responsibilities below.

Computer skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a front desk receptionist to have. According to a front desk receptionist resume, "receptionists should be adept at using computers." Front desk receptionists are able to use computer skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "handled computerized and manual appointment scheduling, billing, and health insurance records. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many front desk receptionist duties rely on customer-service skills. This example from a front desk receptionist explains why: "receptionists represent the organization, so they should be courteous, professional, and helpful to customers and the public." This resume example is just one of many ways front desk receptionists are able to utilize customer-service skills: "communicated with customers and clients regarding retail products, appointment scheduling and general customer questions. "

Another skill that is quite popular among front desk receptionists is communication skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a front desk receptionist resume: "receptionists must speak and write clearly when providing information and corresponding with customers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "front desk night audit checking guest in and out; closing daily paperwork skills communication multitasking. "

A front desk receptionist responsibilities sometimes require "integrity." The responsibilities that rely on this skills are shown by this resume excerpt: "receptionists may handle confidential data, especially in medical and legal offices" This resume example shows how this skill is used by front desk receptionists: "entrusted to maintain daily deposits and reconciled pos credit card and cash income. "

Yet another important skill that a front desk receptionist must demonstrate is "interpersonal skills." Receptionists should be comfortable interacting with people in different types of situations. This is clearly demonstrated in this example from a front desk receptionist who stated: "demonstrated strong interpersonal skills while greeting clients and creating welcoming environment. "

Lastly, this career requires you to be skillful in "organizational skills." According to front desk receptionist resumes, "receptionists take messages, schedule appointments, and maintain employee files." This resume example highlights how front desk receptionist responsibilities rely on this skill: "demonstrated excellent communication and organizational skills by providing routine clerical support to staff. "

See the full list of front desk receptionist skills.

We've found that 27.7% of front desk receptionists have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 1.8% earned their master's degrees before becoming a front desk receptionist. While it's true that some front desk receptionists have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every three front desk receptionists did not spend the extra money to attend college.

Those front desk receptionists who do attend college, typically earn either a business degree or a health care administration degree. Less commonly earned degrees for front desk receptionists include a psychology degree or a general studies degree.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a front desk receptionist. We've found that most front desk receptionist resumes include experience from National Vision Administrators, The Center for Health Care Services, and Access Healthcare Services. Of recent, National Vision Administrators had 213 positions open for front desk receptionists. Meanwhile, there are 32 job openings at The Center for Health Care Services and 21 at Access Healthcare Services.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, front desk receptionists tend to earn the biggest salaries at SightMD, University of California, Berkeley, and Tesoro. Take SightMD for example. The median front desk receptionist salary is $44,106. At University of California, Berkeley, front desk receptionists earn an average of $41,017, while the average at Tesoro is $39,246. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on front desk receptionist salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a front desk receptionist include Michigan State University, H&R; Block, and Marquette University. These three companies were found to hire the most front desk receptionists from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

For the most part, front desk receptionists make their living in the health care and insurance industries. Front desk receptionists tend to make the most in the government industry with an average salary of $31,038. The front desk receptionist annual salary in the manufacturing and hospitality industries generally make $30,770 and $30,255 respectively. Additionally, front desk receptionists who work in the government industry make 8.8% more than front desk receptionists in the professional Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious front desk receptionists are:

National Vision Administrators213 Front Desk Receptionists Jobs
The Center for Health Care Services32 Front Desk Receptionists Jobs
Access Healthcare Services21 Front Desk Receptionists Jobs

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What Receptionist/Customer Services Do

Receptionists or customer service professionals are considered as the first contact point of the clients. They usually greet and welcome guests visiting an office or organization. These are employees who serve as administrative or office support. They take responsibility for digital communication. It is their job to coordinate the front desk activities such as redirecting phone calls and distributing correspondence. They should be equipped with skills like attention to detail, dependability, and communication skills.

We looked at the average front desk receptionist annual salary and compared it with the average of a receptionist/customer service. Generally speaking, receptionist/customer services receive $446 lower pay than front desk receptionists per year.

While their salaries may differ, one common ground between front desk receptionists and receptionist/customer services are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like phone calls, customer service, and office equipment.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a front desk receptionist responsibilities require skills like "patients," "check-in," "reservations," and "appointment scheduling." Meanwhile a typical receptionist/customer service has skills in areas such as "data entry," "front desk," "scheduling appointments," and "credit card payments." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

Receptionist/customer services receive the highest salaries in the manufacturing industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $30,365. But front desk receptionists are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $31,038.

Receptionist/customer services tend to reach similar levels of education than front desk receptionists. In fact, receptionist/customer services are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties 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 next role we're going to look at is the receptionist/billing clerk profession. Typically, this position earns a higher pay. In fact, they earn a $882 higher salary than front desk receptionists per year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both front desk receptionists and receptionist/billing clerks are known to have skills such as "patients," "customer service," and "appointment scheduling. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real front desk receptionist resumes. While front desk receptionist responsibilities can utilize skills like "check-in," "phone calls," "reservations," and "administrative tasks," some receptionist/billing clerks use skills like "data entry," "front desk," "medicaid," and "insurance forms."

Receptionist/billing clerks may earn a higher salary than front desk receptionists, but receptionist/billing clerks earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $35,383. On the other side of things, front desk receptionists receive higher paychecks in the government industry where they earn an average of $31,038.

On the topic of education, receptionist/billing clerks earn similar levels of education than front desk receptionists. In general, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Switchboard Operator, Receptionist Compares

A receptionist secretary is responsible for providing the best customer service, as well as attending to the needs of existing and potential clients. Duties of a receptionist secretary include managing customer's inquiries and forwarding important calls to the appropriate department, performing administrative and clerical tasks, escalating high-level of client's concerns to the management, keeping the reception area clean, monitoring office supplies and request stocks as needed, and maintaining an organized record of meetings and events. A receptionist secretary must have strong communication and multi-tasking skills to handle workloads of daily operations.

The third profession we take a look at is switchboard operator, receptionist. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than front desk receptionists. In fact, they make a $5,161 lower salary per year.

By looking over several front desk receptionists and switchboard operators, receptionist resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "customer service," "patient appointments," and "patient charts." But beyond that the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from front desk receptionist resumes include skills like "patients," "check-in," "phone calls," and "reservations," whereas a switchboard operator, receptionist might be skilled in "greeting visitors," "data entry," "front desk," and "scheduling appointments. "

Interestingly enough, switchboard operators, receptionist earn the most pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $28,656. As mentioned previously, front desk receptionists highest annual salary comes from the government industry with an average salary of $31,038.

When it comes to education, switchboard operators, receptionist tend to earn similar education levels than front desk receptionists. In fact, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Receptionist Secretary

Now, we'll look at receptionist secretaries, who generally average a lower pay when compared to front desk receptionists annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $1,707 per year.

According to resumes from both front desk receptionists and receptionist secretaries, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "phone calls," and "customer service. "

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "check-in," "reservations," "insurance verification," and "emr" are skills that have shown up on front desk receptionists resumes. Additionally, receptionist secretary uses skills like data entry, payroll, front desk, and greeting visitors on their resumes.

Receptionist secretaries earn a higher salary in the government industry with an average of $30,128. Whereas, front desk receptionists earn the highest salary in the government industry.

Receptionist secretaries reach similar levels of education when compared to front desk receptionists. The difference is that they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree less, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What a Front Desk Receptionist Does FAQs

What Are The Duties Of A Receptionist?

The main duties of a receptionist are to receive visitors, answer phone calls, manage mail, do clerical work, organize meetings, and provide secretarial support.

Receive Visitors

greet visitors appropriately
determine visitor needs in a professional manner
maintain visitor register
offer refreshments to visitors where appropriate
direct visitors to the correct person
ensure back up when absent from reception desk

What Skills Do You Need To Be A Front Desk Receptionist?

The skills you need to be a front desk receptionist encompass a wide variety of technical and interpersonal skills. To help break it down, we have compiled a list of the top nine skills needed to be a successful front desk receptionist.

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated October 2, 2020