25 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You start by opening the reception area: turn on the automated information system, check voicemail and Microsoft Outlook, and make sure appointment scheduling is up to date. Greet visitors, answer switchboard calls, and notify supervisors when expected visitors arrive.
Between visitors you file documents, sort mail, handle guest registration or room assignments, manage key control, and run simple cashier work or credit checks. Busy periods usually include morning check-ins, a lunchtime rush for calls, and late-afternoon departures.
Expect Microsoft Outlook for email and appointments, Microsoft Excel or Google Docs for simple records and staff whereabouts, and Microsoft Word for letters or forms.
You may also use an automated information system for calls and scheduling, and Intuit QuickBooks if you handle cashier work or invoices. Post-it notes (3M) are still common for quick reminders at the desk.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 910,180 people were employed as receptionists and information clerks in 2025. The median pay was $38,010 per year.
BLS also reports the lowest tenth earned $28,760 and the top tenth earned $49,950. Use these numbers to set realistic expectations—local pay can vary by city and employer.
Learn how to use the phone switchboard and transfer calls cleanly, and basic Microsoft Outlook: how to read email, accept meeting invites, and update appointments.
Also practice short customer scripts for greetings, common inquiries, and logging visitor arrivals. Knowing how to open a simple Excel sheet or Google Doc to record staff whereabouts is very useful.
A front desk executive mixes in-person duties—greeting visitors, handling mail, managing key control and lobby appearance—with phone work and light clerical tasks. You often physically manage the reception area.
A customer service representative focuses more on calls, problem resolution, or online support. Front desk roles add face-to-face registration, room assignments or cashier tasks, and daily mail handling.
You can use AI for drafting routine emails, standard replies to common inquiries, or summarizing voicemail, but only with company permission and while protecting private data.
Do not feed customer credit info, key codes, or personal records into public AI tools. Keep credit checks, QuickBooks entries, and sensitive records in approved systems like your automated information system or Intuit QuickBooks.
Poor call handling or misrouting calls can frustrate staff and visitors; using the switchboard and forwarding calls correctly matters a lot. Missing visitor notifications or key-control errors can create security issues.
Also, bad record keeping—lost files, incorrect staff whereabouts, or wrong billing in QuickBooks—causes repeated problems. Keep tidy files, log mail and deliveries, and double-check registrations and credit checks.