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.
Front desk receptionist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real front desk receptionist resumes:
- 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 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.
Common skills that a front desk receptionist uses to do their job include "patients," "check-in," and "phone calls." You can find details on the most important front desk receptionist responsibilities below.
Computer skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a front desk receptionist to have is computer skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "receptionists should be adept at using computers." Front desk receptionists often use computer skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "handled computerized and manual appointment scheduling, billing, and health insurance records. "
Customer-service skills. Many front desk receptionist duties rely on customer-service skills. "receptionists represent the organization, so they should be courteous, professional, and helpful to customers and the public.," so a front desk receptionist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways front desk receptionist responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "communicated with customers and clients regarding retail products, appointment scheduling and general customer questions. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of front desk receptionists is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday front desk receptionist duties, as "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. "
Integrity. front desk receptionist responsibilities often require "integrity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "receptionists may handle confidential data, especially in medical and legal offices." This resume example shows what front desk receptionists do with integrity on a typical day: "entrusted to maintain daily deposits and reconciled pos credit card and cash income. "
Interpersonal skills. Another crucial skill for a front desk receptionist to carry out their responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." A big part of what front desk receptionists relies on this skill, since "receptionists should be comfortable interacting with people in different types of situations." How this skill relates to front desk receptionist duties can be seen in an example from a front desk receptionist resume snippet: "demonstrated strong interpersonal skills while greeting clients and creating welcoming environment. "
Organizational skills. Lastly, "organizational skills" is an important element of what a front desk receptionist does. Front desk receptionist responsibilities require this skill because "receptionists take messages, schedule appointments, and maintain employee files." This resume example highlights how front desk receptionist duties rely on this skill: "demonstrated excellent communication and organizational skills by providing routine clerical support to staff. "
The three companies that hire the most 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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Compare different front desk receptionists
Front desk receptionist vs. Receptionist/customer service
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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, 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 the differences in what each career does.
Receptionist/customer services earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $30,365. On the other hand, 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.Front desk receptionist vs. 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.
Each career also uses 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," 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 hand, front desk receptionists receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $31,038.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.Front desk receptionist vs. Switchboard operator, receptionist
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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from front desk receptionist resumes include skills like "patients," "check-in," "phone calls," and "reservations," whereas a switchboard operator, receptionist is more likely to list skills in "greeting visitors," "data entry," "front desk," and "scheduling appointments. "
Switchboard operators, receptionist earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $28,656. Front desk receptionists earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $31,038.When it comes to education, switchboard operators, receptionist tend to earn similar degree levels compared to 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.Front desk receptionist vs. Receptionist secretary
Types of front desk receptionist
Updated January 8, 2025
