1. The Dedicated Receptionist Recruitment Agency

The sheer focus of a specialist receptionist agency which understands the finer detail in what makes an excellent front-of-house team member.

With a Google Review rating of 4.9* from 260+ reviews and fifteen years experience devoted to placing temporary and permanent receptionists, we understand the subtle differences between a good receptionist and an excellent ‘can do’ super polished, enthusiastic candidate, who would fit into your team and be an asset to your company.

We also run the receptionist magazine and the front of house managers forums, which helps us to understand our clients needs, and why we work with candidates who are actively interested in the receptionist’s role, and appreciate its importance. 

Having the strongest web-presence of any receptionist related recruitment agency and also being known as the industry leaders, we are able to source receptionists from the most exclusive fields:

  • Finance, Banking, Asset Management, Hedge Funds and Private Equity Firms
  • Tech & Media companies
  • Accounting, Management Consultancies and Insurance
  • Law Firms (including Magic Circle) Solicitors and Chambers
  • Large Corporations – FTSE 100
  • Private Members Clubs and London’s 5* Hotels
  • Premium Airlines

Our client list (available on request) reads like the who’s who of London’s most prestigious companies. 

Speak to our Recruitment Director for permanent receptionists or temporary receptionists Contact

Capabilities that keep things smooth and seamless

You’ve heard the old definition of professionalism – the swan that looks as though it’s gliding effortlessly across the lake, while paddling furiously below.

That’s the essence of a good reception. It depends on specific skills and drills that must be performed correctly, around the clock. Complex multi-tasking. Synchronising with team members or caterers. Trying to reserve a boardroom, while taking a call, just as a group of clients arrive… and of course coping with it all in a calm professional manner.

And no agency could be more experienced than we are at judging applicants on their essential suitability for the job.

What else helps us attract the best receptionists?
Our dedication to the cause…

Just a few examples of how Front-of-House keeps its finger on the pulse of the industry – to improve your own performance, day after day.

  • Front-of-House Secrets!FOH Managers reveal valuable tips for ensuring your reception team make those all-important impressions.
  • Receptionist interview questions A client arrives at reception, just when you’ve got a room booking. Also the phone rings, then an email pops up too. In what sequence do you attend to these four tasks? We’ve got a whole bank of receptionist interview questions
  • Front of House Staffing
    For complete front of house staffing services, both temporary and permanent; we have the best selection of receptionists in London.
  • Receptionist Job Descriptions
    To help you write that perfect receptionist specification. Please see our many sample job descriptions below.

Finally – if you’re looking for a niche specialist hospitality recruitment agency to assist with senior catering vacancies, please see Mash’d Recruitment – our sister company:  Hospitality Recruitment Agency

2. Example reception job specifications

USEFUL EXAMPLES OF CORPORATE RECEPTIONIST JOB DESCRIPTIONS – WHICH CLIENTS ARE ABLE TO USE AND TAILOR TO THEIR NEEDS

Receptionist Job Description for a corporate receptionist vacancy with reservations

Receptionist Temp Agencies – spec

Receptionist needed to meet and greet all visitors and to respond to all conference room booking requests using a computerised diary booking system.

Front of House Staffing

Corporate receptionist needed to consistently maintain a superior level of professionalism in their delivery of customer service to internal customers and external clients/visitors.

The team is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the professional image and reputation of this company in all contact with clients, visitors and internal customers.

It will be important to demonstrate flexibility ensuring the highest standards of client service are delivered, reflecting both the excellence of the firm’s business, it’s operating culture and ethos.

The team work to a shift pattern and each receptionist will be required to work occasional weekends and evenings (as determined by operational requirements).

The Client Services Assistants cover three reception desks and the conference room booking office. The receptionist’s working hours are over four shift patterns:

  1. 07.00 – 15.30
  2. 08.30 – 17.00
  3. 09:00 – 18.30
  4. 12.45 – 21.15

Also the Receptionist needed will be required to cover holidays and sickness on the Late Reception shift (16.00 – 24.00), as part of the rota. A taxi home will be provided on these occasions.

Key Receptionist Responsibilities

  • Meet and greet all visitors with a warm and professional welcome. Contact the relevant host and ensure the correct room is ready. Take coats, bags, umbrellas for safe-keeping. Offer refreshments if appropriate.
  • Perform regular room checks at our office to ensure rooms are:
    1. in perfect condition to receive the host & guest/s;
    2. have all relevant media and A/V.
    3. set-up according to the hosts request.
  • Co-ordinate the booking of conference rooms making effective use of the room booking system. This may involve prioritising client meetings over internal meetings and “juggling” reservations to make efficient use of meeting room space and meet customer needs.
  • Re-confirm “next day” bookings and check all requirements.
  • Follow up provisional bookings, confirm them and obtain billing and catering details, making use of the daily follow-up list.
  • Carry out daily administrative procedures, e.g. compile reports (statistics, no-shows, room moves, room usage, re-charge sheets, maintenance equipment usage, overrun meetings), send out catering assessment forms and complete a key check.
  • Receptionist needed to keep accurate records of all correspondence between the relevant parties booking rooms.
  • Maintain a “waiting list” on busy days.
  • Liaise closely with other departments i.e. IS, Maintenance, Catering, Telecoms, HR and Marketing Events, ensuring accurate communication takes place (especially regarding the timely announcement of any booking changes).
  • Send faxes, make photocopies, book taxis, order flowers, and arrange ‘swears’ and statutory declarations. Print documents for clients when requested.
  • Report any defects and maintenance issues. Follow up to ensure rectification is satisfactorily completed.
  • Keep the reception and client touchdown areas tidy. The awards and Registered Office List to be neatly on display along with other appropriate media.
  • Occasional cover of the computerised switchboard is also required.
  • Observe the company procedures with regard to fire, health and safety.
  • Complies with the firm’s policies and any other legal obligations; effectively manages risks to the firm where those risks relate to this role

Receptionist Skills

  • Relevant corporate front desk or related customer services experience, ideally gained in a professional services, or a hotel (or similar), environment
  • Good typing (40 wpm would be desirable) and keyboard skills
  • Computer literate with a good working knowledge of common desktop applications (MS Word, Excel, Outlook)
  • Receptionist needed with previous experience of a room booking system
  • Previous Switchboard experience with knowledge of a screen based console would be desirable
  • An ability to learn new software applications would be desirable

3. Short spec for standard receptionist responsibilities

Receptionist Wanted – Reporting to – Front of House Manager, Duty Manager, Coordinators

Purpose – To ensure visitors are greeted and escorted to meeting rooms in an efficient and professional manner

Receptionist Responsibilities

  • To greet all visitors reporting to Reception, contacting their hosts upon arrival
  • Dealing with general enquiries from visitors and internal staff
  • To escort guests quickly and courteously to meeting rooms
  • To place guests’ coats and luggage in the cloakroom
  • To take messages to meeting rooms as requested
  • To check meeting rooms are ready for the next meeting
  • To maintain a tidy Reception area
  • To book meeting rooms using booking software
  • To liaise with the Catering, Audio visual and Meeting Room Support Departments for Catering and AV requests
  • Printing of reports from meeting room booking system
  • Check e-mails sent to Reception e-mail address on a regular basis

Receptionist Duties

  • To report any faults in meeting rooms and Reception areas
  • To carry out photocopying and faxing on request
  • May be required to carry out extra duties at evening Functions. E.g. distributing name badges, organisation of question and answer sessions

Answering the telephone

  • Answer the phone promptly and politely within three rings

Additional Requirements

  • Receptionist needed to undertake any other reasonable requests of Management
  • To assist and support other team members, Managers, Co-ordinators and Trainer
  • To read all correspondence and weekly newsletter sent via e-mail in order to maintain good communication within the team
  • To be aware of evacuation exits and emergency procedures

4. Hospitality Reception – Standard Responsibilities – Reception Services Team

This role forms part of the Receptionist Services Team of Ten.

The team are responsible for booking meeting and dining rooms, meeting and greeting clients, arranging car and taxi transportation, ensuring refreshment and IT equipment requests are organised and answering the switchboard.

In addition a key element of their role is to run the main ground floor reception

  • Greeting of external visitors
  • Ensure reception area is well kept and maintained to a high standard
  • Maintain a flexible and professional approach in dealing with all queries
  • Ordering of floral arrangements
  • Taking incoming and transferring telephone calls
  • Taking messages
  • Administering an efficient and effective reservation service with regard to:
    • Meeting room bookings
    • Taxi bookings
    • Car park bookings
    • Liaison with catering staff regarding refreshments required
    • Liaison with ground floor security staff regarding external visitors
    • Organisation of security passes for external visitors

Receptionist Needed – Skills Needed

  • Demonstrate absolutely nothing less than excellence in every aspect of customer care
  • Ensures that oneself is always immaculately presented and well groomed
  • Communicates articulately both in a written and oral format
  • Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers and the general public

Also

  • A smart Receptionist
  • Communication
  • Customer Focus
  • Planning & Organising
  • Problem Solving & Decision Making
  • Professionalism
  • Relationship Building
  • Self Development
  • Team Membership
  • Team Working

Functional

  • Business Awareness
  • IT
  • Policy and Law
    • Complaints Handling
    • Email and Internet Use
    • Health and safety at Work Act

5. Receptionist job description with switchboard duties

Overview of role:

Receptionist needed for shift hours: 07:00 to 20:00 with a one-hour lunch break within an eight and a half hour shift. Flexibility is required in respect to core working hours as shifts will generally be rotated on a weekly basis. Overtime may be required from time to time which may be paid or time off in lieu may be given, depending upon the needs of the business.

The Team: This role will work with the current team covering reception in the Office, reporting into the Front of House Manager

Receptionist needed for these duties:

Switchboard

  • Answer all calls, both internal and external (within 3 rings where possible) and direct them to the appropriate person.
  • Update London entries on internal telephone directory on a weekly basis.
  • Regularly check switchboard voicemail for messages and pass to their intended recipient.

Receptionist

  • Meet & greet all visitors to reception and announce their arrival to the appropriate contact.
  • Assist visitors as required (printing, sending faxes etc).
  • Booking taxis for staff and/or visitors. Receptionist needed to record details on the taxi log.
  • Order catering supplies for meeting room service.
  • Order external catering services where required and liaise with caterers re requirements.
  • Issue temporary visitors’ access passes, record details and follow up non-returned passes.
  • Ensure that the print/copy room is kept tidy.

Meeting Rooms

  • Book all meetings in both client and internal meeting rooms using our software management system ensuring details of catering, equipment and visitors are recorded and that confirmations are issued to booker/host.
  • Ensure that all meeting rooms are correctly set up ready for each meeting, that all required equipment is available and functioning, relevant catering provided and that rooms are cleared down from the previous meeting.
  • Ensure all meeting rooms are properly equipped with stationery and up-to-date information such as telephone lists and IT guides and that the rooms are kept tidy and in a suitable condition.
  • Reconfigure meeting rooms as required and restore them to normal condition as necessary
  • Receptionist wanted to cover catering assistant duties as required and any catering service required after 6pm.

6. Telephonist job description

Position: Telephonist

Department: Switchboard

Reports to: Switch-room Manager

GENERAL: The role of the Firm’s Telephonists is to operate the Switchboard, assist callers, deal with queries and to undertake routine administrative tasks as requested by the Switch-room Manager

MAIN TELEPHONIST DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To operate the Switchboard (or other Switchboard as the Firm shall provide) in conjunction with the directory database, ensuring calls are handled in a timely and professional manner
  • Ensure where possible phones are answered within 3 rings
  • To ensure that the Directory Services is updated regularly in conjunction with the Switch-room Supervisor
  • To ensure the switchboard database (telephone directory) is updated regularly
  • To set up conference calls as required by partners and staff (if requested)
  • Conducting training for new staff on the use of the voicemail and telephone system
  • Occasionally covering for the receptionist – so a high level of presentation for the receptionist needed.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the Department.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The role requires an individual with the following personal attributes:

  • articulate and confident with the ability to work unsupervised
  • efficient and well organised
  • flexible approach with the ability to adapt to differing job requirements
  • attention to detail
  • the ability to remain calm under pressure

7. Reception room reservations or rooms bookings coordinator job description - job spec

Bookings Coordinator/Helpdesk Coordinator

Responsibilities: Responsible to ensure that requests for meeting rooms, dining rooms, catering, audio visual and any other requests are dealt with courteously and efficiently. Responsible for the day to day running of the Helpdesk whilst on duty. This includes acknowledging, assigning and resolving all jobs within agreed SLA times.

Responsible To: Events Manager and Booking Centre Supervisor

Operational Duties: (Job/Technical Knowledge/Expertise, Customer Service)

  • Taking phone and e-mail bookings for all meeting and dining rooms within the London Campus
  • Taking phone and e-mail bookings for all catering requirements
  • Keep reception areas informed of any changes to on the day bookings
  • Inform Reception of any new on the day bookings
  • Keep all catering areas informed of any on the day bookings
  • Liaise with Hospitality department for menu requirements
  • Compile weekly sheets summarising all dining room bookings
  • Liaise with main receptions with regard to room bookings and external guests
  • Reporting any faults to Help Desk (maintenance)
  • Ensure you have correct and up to date telephone numbers and locations for all lient contacts.
  • Maintain the booking office in a clean and tidy manner, reporting problems with cleaning to cleaning supervisor.
  • Liaise with Audio Visual team with equipment queries, concerns and requirements.
  • Liaise with cleaning supervisor for any housekeeping requirements or guests concerns

General Skills: (Initiative, Adaptability, Flexibility, Reliability, Implementation, Work Standards, Tenacity and Time Management)

  1. Ensure the above skills are used to provide and efficient quality service to both client and company.
  2. Offer a pro-active style of working to maintain the company reputation
  3. All employees are responsible for protecting their own health and safety and those affected by your work.

Interpersonal Skills: (Verbal communication, Team working, Working standards, Customer care, Flexibility, Personal Hygiene and Listening)

We are one of London’s Specialist Receptionist Recruitment Agencies

Please contact our recruitment team on 0207 242 8888. Contact