Turn Your Receptionist into a Call Management Ninja

Anyone who has ever worked as an office receptionist, or assumed front desk duties during a lunch break, knows it takes a special set of skills to succeed in this role. The best have a combination of soft (interpersonal) and hard (technical) skills. Let’s take a look at both, along with tips to help refine key receptionist skills to help yours become a call management ninja.

Soft skills for receptionists

According to Carnegie Foundation report, 85 percent of a person’s job success is a product of their interpersonal skills and only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge. Granted, that report is more than a century old, so the percentages have probably shifted a bit. Even so, soft skills are super important when it comes to receptionists. The good news for those who weren’t born with innate interpersonal skills is they can be developed. And today’s technology offers many tools to give an office receptionist a helping hand.

Professional: As the first line of contact, a receptionist can make or break your company. Nobody wants to patronize a business if they’re greeted by a surly office receptionist who acts as if they’d rather be doing anything other than answering phone calls. Hire someone who cheerfully embraces all their receptionist duties, exudes professionalism and shows up before the first customer calls of the day. Someone who is polite, courteous and able to remain unflappable when call volume is high or customers have a complaint. Someone who is discreet, especially when it comes to customer privacy and HIPAA regulations.

Supportive: Callers expect to get prompt service and accurate information that satisfies the reason they called. A supportive receptionist strives for first call resolution, which means the caller gets what they need without having to call back a second, third or fourth time.

Friendly: The friendliest of receptionists can’t be expected to recognize every caller, but a VoIP phone system can give them a leg up. For example, Ooma Office features Caller Info Match, which displays a pop-up screen that pulls background information about the caller from your Customer Relationship Management system, or other sources such as social media and search engines. Think of it as a super-charged caller ID. Ooma Office integrates with a long list of business platforms; check out the full list.

Great communicator: Communicating well begins with speaking clearly and professionally. A receptionist who knows and practices proper business phone etiquette gives callers a positive impression. Want some pointers? Read: Mastering business communications: the ultimate guide to business phone etiquette. Using a phonetic alphabet when getting names, addresses and account information can also help.

Find out how to make great communications a part of your company’s culture by learning how to make effective insurance agency calls (this post was written specifically for insurance agents, but has some communications gems that apply to anyone who has a lot of customer interaction over the phone.

Here are similar calling tips for other fields:

• Healthcare
• Real estate
• Legal
• Restaurants
• Retail workers

Team player: Unless your company has a steady stream of incoming calls, receptionist duties could include anything from purchasing and stocking office supplies to entering data and managing corporate files. As an agile team player, ready to pitch in wherever a need arises, your receptionist may be pulled away from their desk throughout the day—a perfect time to forward calls.

Hard skills for receptionists

Generally defined as technical proficiencies, hard skills can be learned through training or hands-on experience. Here are a few that apply to office receptionists:

Keyboarding: Whether it’s tapping with two thumbs or 10 fingers, being able to type quickly and accurately is a valuable skill for anyone using a computer. As well as those receptionists who still use a trusty, dusty typewriter to create shipping labels, address envelopes and complete forms.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs: If you’re one of the million companies that use Office, it’s helpful to have a receptionist with working knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams, or is willing to learn.

Adept at using office equipment: Receptionists are often the first responders during office emergencies. So, knowing how to replace the toner in the color printer, send a fax, or help a teammate figure out how to set up a video call are all valuable skills. A savvy receptionist can take the lead in teaching teammates how to get the most out of their desk phones features, like extension monitoring or creating professional voicemail greetings.

Knowledgeable about your business: While it’s not their job to know all the ins and outs of your company, a great office receptionist is eager to learn the basics about your operation and determine who is the right person to accept a call transfer.

Professional development

Feeling prepared to help your receptionist answer calls like a ninja? For more resources, check out professional online courses, such as those offered by Udemy or LinkedIn Learning with Lynda. Or call an Ooma Office representative at (877) 353-5185.