Receptionist

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a hotel receptionist. My work tasks include customer service, making and administering bookings, checking customers in and out, and managing invoicing. In addition, at our hotel, the receptionist is responsible for duties related to sales and, if necessary and possible, they assist with kitchen and cleaning tasks.

My job description also involves serving at the hotel’s lobby bar, maintaining the bar and placing orders for beverages. The receptionist is also responsible for purchasing cleaning supplies and taking care of laundry orders. The position also includes planning and implementing catering for meetings and parties together with the kitchen staff and, if necessary, helping out with the related orders.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I was interested in travelling and the tourism industry when I was young, so I applied for studies in the field. During my studies and thereafter, I have worked in a wide variety of tasks in the hotel and restaurant sector and in other customer service positions. Over the years, I have noticed that I enjoy working at hotels, as the working environment is suitably diverse and I like the duties of a receptionist.

Describe your typical working day or week.

I work in two shifts, and the tasks vary slightly depending on whether I work in the morning or in the evening. In addition to opening the reception in the morning, the responsibilities include checking out the customers and taking care of invoicing. If necessary, I assist in the kitchen by collecting and washing dishes, help out with the catering and provide guidance and assistance for cleaning services, and ensure the cleanliness of the reception. In addition, the morning shift includes managing new reservations through different channels and responding to requests for quotation.

In the evening shift, the bulk of my time is spent on checking in incoming customers, making reservations, tasks involving sales and serving alcohol at the lobby bar. At the end of the shift, the reception is closed for the night. In larger places and hotel chains, the job description of a receptionist is often simpler, but here, the position includes a wide range of different responsibilities.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

At our hotel, the receptionist works alone, apart from during shift change. However, there is a lot of cooperation between the different ‘departments’, such as the kitchen and cleaning services. In a small company, everyone works together and tries to help each other out. The job entails working in two different shifts with varying hours, and the working day lasts for 8 hours.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

Working at the reception requires rapid response skills, situational awareness and a knack for social gameplay. You also have to be able to tolerate pressure and a sense of urgency, especially during the busy seasons. At hotels and other accommodation establishments, you are frequently faced with different situations where something does not work, and anything surprising can happen. You must be able to react quickly to such situations. In addition, you need to be able to make decisions independently.

Language skills are useful in the multinational operating environments and encounters with customers. You should know at least English. In addition, it is beneficial to have a sales-oriented mindset.

What is the best thing about your profession?

I enjoy my profession because the job duties are pleasant as a whole and the situations vary a lot, in addition to ordinary work tasks. Moreover, in our privately-owned hotel, my job description is suitably varied. My work brings me joy when a customer accepts a larger accommodation or conference package, or if I am able to give tourists visiting the area nice tips for activities that make them happy. I also like to work in two shifts, as it gives me the opportunity to exercise and take part in activities also during the day in the dark winter period.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

Everyone working in customer service is bound to come across difficult customer service situations from time to time. Sometimes you dwell on them and think about what could have been done or what could have gone better. Work can sometimes be socially burdensome and it takes time to recover. This may be noticeable during leisure time, but this depends, of course, on the individual.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a receptionist?

The sector is affected by economic downturns and global crises. Nevertheless, there are job opportunities available in tourist centres around Finland, as well as outside the Finnish borders. Receptionists need to have a way with words, and good language and decision-making skills. In addition, an interest in customer service is a must. The pay in the sector is not very good, so if you are attracted to a high income, you should consider other options.

How do you see the future of your profession?

The tasks of the receptionist have already been partially facilitated by self-check-in services and automation. However, I believe that people and empathy will be needed for a long time yet in this field. Tourism is expected to be a rapidly growing sector also in the future. Global trends shape the industry and the way people travel. Accommodation services will always be needed, at least in domestic tourism. In light of this, I believe that there will be plenty of work for good customer service professionals and multi-skilled people in the sector also in the future.