Standard Grade

Administration

Area of Study 1:Administrative Support

Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Unit 2c – Reception Services

SG Administration Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Theory Notes

Unit 2c – Reception Services Page 2

SG Administration Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Contents Page

Lesson 1......................................................................................................3The Reception Area..................................................................................3Receptionist Qualities..............................................................................4Receptionist Duties..................................................................................4

Operating a Switchboard......................................................................4Lesson 2......................................................................................................6

Receiving Visitors.....................................................................................7Appointments Diary.................................................................................8Reception Register/Visitors Book.............................................................8Staff In/Out Book......................................................................................8Location, Layout and features..................................................................9

Lesson 3....................................................................................................10Dealing with unauthorised visitors.........................................................10Contribution of reception to the safety and security of the organisation...............................................................................................................10Security systems and procedures..........................................................10

Card Readers/Swipe Cards..................................................................11Security Cameras/CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)............................11Locked Doors......................................................................................11Keypad/Coded Door Entry System......................................................11Entry Phone/Intercom.........................................................................11Security/ID (Identification) Badges......................................................12Security Guards/Personnel..................................................................12

Potential security risks...........................................................................12Organisational security policy and reporting procedures.......................12Reporting incidents................................................................................13

Lesson 4....................................................................................................15What is an electronic diary.....................................................................15Benefits of an electronic diary...............................................................15Disadvantages of an electronic diary.....................................................16

Lesson 5....................................................................................................17Mobile Phone..........................................................................................17

Advantages of Mobile Phones.............................................................17Disadvantages of Mobile Phones.........................................................17

Pager......................................................................................................17Email......................................................................................................18

Advantages of Email...........................................................................18Disadvantages of Email.......................................................................18

Fax.........................................................................................................18Advantages of Fax..............................................................................18Disadvantages of Fax..........................................................................19

Unit 2c – Reception Services Page 3

SG Administration Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Lesson 1

Reception should reflect the image of the organisation – Contribution that reception makes to the image of the organisation (first impressions) F

Reception duties – Role, qualities and duties of a receptionist F

The Reception Area

The reception area is the first place a visitor to the business will see when they arrive. It is therefore a very important area and it usually found at the entrance to the building. It is vital that the reception area creates a goodimage. It is the first impression visitors will get of the company.

A good reception area will be:

• welcoming• well-planned• neat and tidy• organised• business-like• comfortable• modern

Very often the reception area will reflect the image of the company. It may be decorated in the corporate colours. It would be useful to have an Organisation Chart (with pictures if appropriate) and the layout of the company on the wall. Information about Health and Safety eg what to do in case of fire, the procedures used to make sure the building is secure, no smoking signs and clearly marked exits should also be displayed.

As some visitors may have to wait in the Reception Area, it would be helpful to have magazines and tea and coffee facilities. Soft seating and low tables would ensure visitors are comfortable.

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SG Administration Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Receptionist Qualities

The Receptionist is the first person that the visitor will meet when they enter the company. It is vital that he/she makes a good impression.

A good Receptionist should be:

• pleasant• polite• friendly

• well-mannered• well-groomed• tactful

• helpful• calm and patient• well-organised

Receptionist Duties

The Receptionist has many tasks and duties to perform but his/her main duties include the following:

• welcoming visitors to the company• checking appointments in the appointment diary• making appointments• keeping the reception register or visitors book• operating security procedures• watching the security camera pictures• keeping the staff in/out book• directing visitors to the person they wish to see• answering the telephone and operating a switchboard• receiving deliveries eg mail or packages• booking hot desks

Operating a SwitchboardTelephone calls to the organisation will generally be received by the Receptionist. He or she may deal with the enquiry or transfer the call to the correct extension. However, if the person required is not available the Receptionist would ask the caller if he/she would like to:

• speak to someone else• call back later• have the person concerned call them back• take a message

Many companies now have an answering service (known as voicemail) on every extension of the telephone system. Therefore, if the person you wish to speak with is out, you can leave a recorded message.

Unit 2c – Reception Services Page 5

Lesson 2

Reception duties – Receiving visitors with an appointment and without an appointment F

Visitors’ records (Appointments Diary, Staff Signing-In Book, Visitors’ Book and Staff In/Out Book) G

Location, Layout and features G

Receiving Visitors

Greet the visitor

Ask the visitor for their name, position and the

organisation they represent

Ask the visitor who they wish to see

Ask if an appointment has been made

WITH APPOINTMENT WITHOUT APPOINTMENT

Check the appointment in the Appointments Book

Try to contact the person the visitor wishes to see (try to

find out discreetly if the person wishes to see the

visitor)Issue the visitor with

identification (label or badge as appropriate)

Ensure that the visitor enters all necessary information in the

Visitor’s Book. Alternatively, the receptionist may enter information directly into a

computer file.

If the person is available to see the visitor then: Issue the visitor with

identification Get the visitor to

complete the Visitor’s Book

Direct visitor to required person’s office

Phone required person to announce the visitor’s arrival

If the visitor is required to wait then ask them to take a seat

(offer refreshments as appropriate)

If the person is not available to see the visitor then: Ask if someone else can

assist Suggest visitor makes

an appointment Get the visitor to

complete the Visitor’s Book

Direct visitor to required person’s office

Appointments DiaryAn Appointments Diary is a record of all the appointments that have been made for staff in the firm. It will show the day, time and member of staff to be seen. It may take the form of a book or alternatively, appointments can be stored on a computer using an Electronic Diary. The advantages of an Electronic Diary are that information can be accessed, stored and up-dated easily. A daily printout of the appointments can be made if necessary.

Additional features of an Electronic Diary are:

(a) Recurring appointments eg a Monday sales meeting need only be entered once and can be repeated as often as required eg every week or month.

(b) If all staff’s computers are networked they can access colleagues diaries to check appointments, or to book other appointments. A manager could make one entry in the electronic diary and this will automatically be transferred to appropriate members of staff.

(c) Double booking of appointments does not occur, as the system will alert you if more than one appointment is entered for the same person, at the same time.

Reception Register/Visitors BookAll visitors must sign the Reception Register or Visitors Book when they enter the building. It is important from a security point of view that there is always a record of visitors in the event of an emergency eg fire.

Staff In/Out BookThe Staff In/Out Book is a record of all staff who enter or leave the building throughout the day. This is a written record of all the staff who are in the building. This information will be used in the event of an emergency eg a fire or even a bomb!

Location, Layout and features

A Reception area should be located near the main entrance.B Large reception desk with visitors’ recordC Computer, fax machine, telephone answering machine, phone

switchboard and public address systemD Waiting areaE Toilet facilitiesF Access and facilities for disabled visitorsG Well decorated and furnished (coffee table, comfortable chairs, good

lighting, pictures, plants, etc)H Receptionist may wear a uniformI Reading material (publicity material about the organisation or general

magazines and newspapers)J Drinks (tea, coffee and water) should be availableK Organisation chartL CCTV (closed circuit television)M Photographs of key personnelN Certificates and awards given to organisation

Lesson 3

Dealing with unauthorised visitors G Contribution of reception to the safety and security of the

organisation G Security systems and procedures (swipecards, CCTV, locked doors,

keypad/combination locks, entryphone, security/ID badges, security personnel, etc) G

Potential security risks and organisational security policy and reporting procedures C

Reporting incidents C

Dealing with unauthorised visitors Try to find the location of the unauthorised person Call security personnel Call police Enter the information in the Incident Book.

Contribution of reception to the safety and security of the organisation To prevent unauthorised access

◦ to the building ◦ to confidential files

To prevent theft◦ of hardware◦ of confidential information

For safety reasons

Security systems and procedures

Location of Reception Safeguard other entrances Visitor records and passes Limited or supervised access Monitor staff

Companies and schools are aware that they must stop unwelcome visitors from entering the building. This is to protect the people in the building and also to prevent theft. There are many ways a company could do this.

Card Readers/Swipe CardsThese are machines on doors which operate using a card. The card is run through a machine which opens

the lock allowing entry. Each member of staff will have a card to allow them into their part of the building, but may exclude them from other parts of the company.

Security Cameras/CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)Some companies and schools have security cameras watching everyone entering and leaving the building (they may also cover the car park). Pictures may also appear on a television screen showing any activity. The receptionist may be asked to watch the screen and report anything suspicious to a security guard or the police.

Locked Doors

Keypad/Coded Door Entry SystemA

coded door entry system uses a keypad on the door. A code must be keyed in before the door lock will release allowing you to enter. You may only have the code for the part of the company you work in. This allows companies to control who is in each area. These are very common in Building Societies and

Banks.

Entry Phone/Intercom

Security/ID (Identification) BadgesMany companies and schools operate a system whereby all members of staff have ID (identification badges) they must wear, clearly displayed, every day. These cards will give their position (job) in the company and will also have a photograph on it. The photograph

makes sure that no one else can steal it and use it. If someone forgets their ID badge, the receptionist may have photos on file or on the organisation chart that can be checked to verify the identity of the member of staff. All visitors must also be issued with badges or security tags.

Security Guards/PersonnelMany firms have security guards at reception to deal with unwelcome visitors immediately.

Potential security risks

Organisational security policy and reporting procedures

Risk Action JustificationA suspicious parcel arrives at reception

Do not touch itInform security personnel

May be a safety risk, and only trained personnel should deal with serious situations

Abandoned car in car park

Call securityInform police if unable

to trace ownerAggressive Visitor Try to calm visitor down

– do not attempt to restrain him/her

If still aggressive, call security to escort visitor from the premises

The visitor’s organisation may be informed about the visitor’s behaviour

Reporting incidentsFor all security problems you would have to enter the information in the Incident Book/Security Breach Report Form.

INCIDENT/SECURITY BREACH REPORT FORMName of Person Reporting Incident Jenny Kerr

Position in Organisation ReceptionistDate and Time of Incident 12 May 2010, 2.35 pmPlace Where Incident Occurred ReceptionName of Other Witnesses Sam Ryan

Description of Incident

Mr Fairgrieve, a sale rep from Qwerty Designs became very angry when informed that there was no one available to see him. I called Sam Ryan for assistance.

Action Taken at the Time

Sam talked to Mr F and managed to calm him down. He apologised for his behaviour.

Further Action RequiredSam is to inform the Sales Manager of Qwerty Designs of the incident

Signature of Line Manager Sam RyanDate 13 May 2010

Lesson 4

Electronic Diary

What is an electronic diary A computer application which allows users to check, enter and store

information on future appointments. Space may be provided for a ‘to do’ list and for notes to be entered

beside each appointment, eg papers to be taken to a meeting. The electronic diaries of several people can be searched to find a

suitable date for all to meet. The application prevents double booking. Regular meetings can be entered once using the repeat function. Names, addresses, contact information etc can be stored in the

address book. The receptionist may access electronic diaries to confirm visitors’

appointments.

Benefits of an electronic diary

Double bookings will be avoided as the electronic diary will alert the user to any overlaps.

If on a network, the diaries of several people can be accessed and meetings can be arranged when suitable.

Reminders/alerts can be set to avoid missing important meetings.

Regular meetings need only be keyed in once.

Details of staff (names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc) can be kept in the address book.

The receptionist can use the diary to confirm visitors’ appointments and also to see if someone is available to see visitors who arrive without appointments.

Entries can be edited/deleted/added without any untidiness/mess.

Auto reply/Out of Office Reply features allow the sender of a message to be; informed that the recipient is not available/on holiday/unable to deal with the enquiry at that time, to take other action which would allow the matter to be dealt with quickly, to be provided with a named person to contact if the matter is urgent, to be dealt with by someone to whom the original e-mail was automatically redirected.

Disadvantages of an electronic diary Requires access to a computer Application may hang or computer may develop a fault

Lesson 5

Mobile phone Pager Email Fax

Mobile Phone Portable hand held phone powered by rechargeable battery. Operates through a cellular phone company eg Vodafone,

T-Mobile, etc Useful to contact people who are on the move (eg

visiting customers/clients) Text messages can also be sent to save time.

Advantages of Mobile Phones Easily transportable – small and lightweight Can be used to contact person almost anywhere Person is immediately contactable provided their phone is switched on

Disadvantages of Mobile Phones Calls made to or from a mobile phone are charged at a higher rate

than other calles Phones ringing may disrupt meetings and conferences Illegal to use a hand-held phone whilst driving

Pager Used to contact people who often work away

from their office or who may have to be contacted outwith the normal working day.

If pager sounds then person knows that they need to call their base immediately (some pagers have different tones to indicate different messages).

Display-type pagers provide more information, eg the phone number to be called and a brief message.

The cost of using the pager depends on the area/zone in which it is being used.

Area of Study 1: Administrative Support Unit 2 – The Working Environment

EmailE-mail is when information is sent or received from one computer terminal toanother. All e-mail users must have their own e-mail address eg yourname@schoolname.org.uk. Information is sent directly to the users mail box whether the computer is switched on or off.

Advantages of Email Messages are sent at very high speed Graphics, illustrations, etc can be sent just as easily as text Costs less than sending written information by post Eliminates time barriers, an e-mail can be sent to anywhere in the world

at any time confidential information can be sent by e-mail.

Disadvantages of Email Inappropriate when needing to send legal documents or cheques. Bulky items such as glossy catalogues do not have the same effect

when sent by e-mail. May lose personal touch with the customers. Equipment required may not be available to both the sender and the

recipient. Technical faults may arise, prohibiting delivery. Viruses may affect/infect files. Files may be accessed hackers.

Fax Cost depends on the time of day, distance and duration of the

transmission. Confidential information will not normally be sent by fax.

Advantages of Fax messages are sent at very high speed graphics, illustrations, etc can be sent just as easily as text messages can be sent at any time to anywhere in the world a fax is its own permanent record of the message fax machines are relatively inexpensive and may incorporate phone,

answering machine and photocopying facilites

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Area of Study 1: Administrative Support Unit 2 – The Working Environment

Disadvantages of Fax The sender has to know the fax number of the recipient. No automatic indication that message has been received by the

recipient. Fax machines will only accept A4 or smaller documents. If the quality of the faxed document is poor then the receiver may find it

difficult to read the fax. An organisation is likely to require a separate dedicated phone line for

sending and receiving faxes.Faxed documents will not usually be accepted as legally-binding documents.

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