What does a receptionist/customer service 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.
Receptionist/customer service responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real receptionist/customer service resumes:
- Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
- Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
- Bill and collect from private pay, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
- Doctor authorization for treatments, understanding of Medicare and Medicaid, prior authorizations (if need).
- Resolve problems with the buyers concerning invoices that do not match in the AS400 system.
- Receive and apply checks into AS400 accounting database and scan checks into bank, on a daily basis.
- Protect policyholder and providers privacy by adhering strictly to HIPAA guidelines.
- Provide excellent customer service to assist customers troubleshoot IOS devices for hardware and software issues.
Receptionist/customer service skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Receptionist/Customer Services are proficient in Customer Service, Phone Calls, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Patience, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Receptionist/Customer Services that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 16%
Service-oriented individual with over 18 years of experience in a variety of professional office based customer service positions.
- Phone Calls, 15%
Required assisting fellow college students of the University with locating library materials and receiving inbound student inquiry phone calls.
- Data Entry, 14%
Performed data entry, report preparation, business correspondence writing and statistical spreadsheet preparation for the Director/Associate Director.
- Telephone Calls, 8%
20653Answered and distributed customer service telephone calls while assisting automotive services customers with cash and/or credit payment and service receipts.
- Front Desk, 8%
Front desk customer service/receptionist position that was composed of many administrative duties/responsibilities.
- Scheduling Appointments, 8%
Provide administrative assistance answering phones, filing paperwork, and scheduling appointments.
Common skills that a receptionist/customer service uses to do their job include "customer service," "phone calls," and "data entry." You can find details on the most important receptionist/customer service responsibilities below.
Listening skills. One of the key soft skills for a receptionist/customer service to have is listening skills. You can see how this relates to what receptionist/customer services do because "representatives must listen carefully to ensure that they understand customers in order to assist them." Additionally, a receptionist/customer service resume shows how receptionist/customer services use listening skills: "schedule appointments for service average 40 to 50 outbound and inbound calls a day provide excellent listening and communication skills"
Patience. Many receptionist/customer service duties rely on patience. "representatives should be patient and polite, especially when interacting with dissatisfied customers.," so a receptionist/customer service will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways receptionist/customer service responsibilities rely on patience: "general office administration duties, along with maintain incoming and outgoing calls, manage all patience schedules and computerize appointment scheduling. "
Problem-solving skills. receptionist/customer services are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to receptionist/customer service responsibilities, because "representatives must determine solutions to customers’ problems." A receptionist/customer service resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "greeted and assisted customers, processed orders, answered questions/resolved customer complaints/issues. "
Communication skills. A big part of what receptionist/customer services do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to receptionist/customer service responsibilities because "customer service representatives must be able to provide clear information in writing, by phone, or in person." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical receptionist/customer service tasks: "operated communication channels to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments. "
Customer-service skills. A commonly-found skill in receptionist/customer service job descriptions, "customer-service skills" is essential to what receptionist/customer services do. Receptionist/customer service responsibilities rely on this skill because "representatives help companies retain customers by professionally answering questions and helping to resolve complaints." You can also see how receptionist/customer service duties rely on customer-service skills in this resume example: "provided excellent customer service by scheduling appointments and updating appointment calendar, taking messages, and resolving issues, if applicable. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill commonly found on receptionist/customer service job descriptions is "interpersonal skills." It can come up quite often in receptionist/customer service duties, since "representatives should be able to create positive interactions with customers." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day receptionist/customer service responsibilities: "demonstrated strong customer service, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. "
The three companies that hire the most receptionist/customer services are:
- Kwik Trip84 receptionist/customer services jobs
- Uline18 receptionist/customer services jobs
- LifePoint Health16 receptionist/customer services jobs
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Compare different receptionist/customer services
Receptionist/customer service vs. Front desk receptionist
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a receptionist/customer service are more likely to require skills like "data entry," "front desk," "scheduling appointments," and "credit card payments." On the other hand, a job as a front desk receptionist requires skills like "patients," "check-in," "reservations," and "appointment scheduling." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Front desk receptionists earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $31,038. On the other hand, receptionist/customer services are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $30,365.On average, front desk receptionists reach similar levels of education than receptionist/customer services. Front desk receptionists are 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist/customer service vs. Office receptionist
An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly. Additionally, an office receptionist is responsible for maintaining security by issuing visitor badges, monitoring logbooks, and following procedures. Administrative assistants are also responsible for preparing and processing travel vouchers and other documents. Some employers prefer someone with a college or bachelor's degree, telephone skills, and excellent communication skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, receptionist/customer service responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "scheduling appointments," "credit card payments," "outbound calls," and "inbound calls." Meanwhile, an office receptionist has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "appointment scheduling," "hr," and "insurance verification." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Office receptionists earn a higher average salary than receptionist/customer services. But office receptionists earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $34,162. Additionally, receptionist/customer services earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $30,365 annually.office receptionists earn similar levels of education than receptionist/customer services in general. They're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist/customer service vs. Customer service representative
Customer service representatives are the first point of contact of the customers, acting as the frontiers of the company and help in driving customer loyalty and retention by leaving a great impression and resolving all of their concerns. They accommodate customer queries by providing useful and comprehensive information about any products or services. Some would use that as an opportunity to market and promote more sales. The most challenging issues they use to handle are customer complaints and processing of refunds and returns. They also assist in basic troubleshooting or accounts and payment setup with the use of specific guidelines or step by step procedures. At most, they help and solve customer issues on their own, but sometimes they would need support from supervisors or other departments.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a receptionist/customer service is likely to be skilled in "phone calls," "front desk," "credit card payments," and "office equipment," while a typical customer service representative is skilled in "cleanliness," "pos," "sales floor," and "home health."
Customer service representatives earn the highest salary when working in the insurance industry, where they receive an average salary of $34,074. Comparatively, receptionist/customer services have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $30,365.customer service representatives typically earn similar educational levels compared to receptionist/customer services. Specifically, they're 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist/customer service vs. Customer service administrator
Customer service administrators supervise people in performing customer service and relations. They manage customer inquiries and oversee customer service representative needs and requirements. In carrying out their job, they function as the middlemen between customers and the company. Their job requires strong communication and clerical skills. They are expected to have a mindset focused on customers while being polite, helpful, and patient. Among their other responsibilities include sales promotion, answering phone calls, handling complaints and inquiries, and adherence to team goals and budget.
Types of receptionist/customer service
Updated January 8, 2025
