3 Skills That a Front Desk Employee Must Have

Applying to jobs that require you to run a front desk this year? Maybe you’re interested in being a receptionist, office manager, customer service rep, administrative assistant, or something similar. Regardless of your specific job title, if you’re going to work a front desk, there are several skills that you need to have in order to stand out to hiring managers amidst a sea of applicants, get your desired position, and provide continuous value to the company.

When hiring managers review resumes for their front desk employees, they’re looking for the following skills:

1. The Ability To Communicate Clearly. As a front desk employee, you must be able to express yourself with a high level of clarity, as you will interface with a variety of customers and personalities every day. For example, you must be able to not only explain, but enforce your company’s financial policies and expectations, a topic that can be triggering for some customers. Along with financial policies, you must also be able to distill complex information into layman’s terms to customers, such as any technical glitches that arise that are impacting your customers.

2. The Ability To Maintain a Positive Attitude. Hiring managers are looking for front desk employees who do not rattle easily. Customers should be able to speak with you on the phone while attending to another customer’s live chat request or a customer who is trying to leave your office without paying his or her bill. And a positive attitude is crucial when handling emotional customers. Your ability to move on from prior problems or frustrations and move on to new tasks or requests will make you invaluable. And always remember: the front desk person is the first impression a customer may have of the company, so it’s crucial that no matter what, you welcome first-time and returning customers with a smile and positivity.

3. The Ability To Maintain High Emotional Intelligence, or EQ. Emotional intelligence isn’t something that can be taught easily, so hiring managers want a front desk employee who already has EQ, or, according to Psychology Today, “the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.” EQ has three basic components:

a. The ability to correctly identify and interpret the emotions of yourself and others.

b. The ability to leverage those emotions and into accomplishing tasks, such as problem solving and conflict resolution.

c. The ability to regulate your own and others’ emotions. This comes in handy when needing to diffuse emotional situations with customers and coworkers.

If you can demonstrate that you already possess EQ–someone who can make customers feel cared for and thus solidify their loyalty to your company–you’ll stand out to hiring managers.

Bonus Tip To Impress Your Hiring Manager During Your Interview
For a front desk position, hiring managers will without a doubt ask you how you would respond to angry or unsatisfied customers, as the front desk is usually the first place that customers will go to express themselves.

Here are some go-to phrases you can use during your interview that will demonstrate to hiring managers that you know exactly what to say to get to the root of why a customer is upset, acknowledge her feelings, and ensure that she continues to do business with your company.
  • “I can appreciate what you are saying.”
  • “I can see how you’d be upset.”
  • “I can hear that you are annoyed.”
  • “I understand your concern.”
  • “I would be upset too.”
  • “You can trust me to take care of this.”
Also, be sure to mention in your interview that you can also discern whether customers are upset even before they say anything, as your high emotional EQ enables you to interpret customers’ emotions based on their demeanor and body language. This highly valuable skill will help you take immediate action to resolve problems and prevent customers from blowing up at you and ending their relationship with your company.