A hotel receptionist works at hotels, servicing the front desk. The job’s duties range over a variety of things, from greeting new customers and accommodating them as quickly as possible, to working out any issues that arise with the current customers. Hotel receptionists also commonly have to answer the phone and perform reservations, as well as function as the communication link between the hotel’s clients and its management. Hotel receptionists also maintain records of guests and organize them into archives for easy access.
Becoming a hotel receptionist takes a high school diploma in most cases – some hotels may require higher educational qualifications from their candidates, however, mostly when the job is located in some high-ranking hotel with strict requirements towards their employees. A good hotel receptionist must have a friendly, helpful personality and be very knowledgeable of how the entire system in a hotel works so they can provide coherent and quality assistance to clients.
The receptionist is among the lowest-paid positions in a hotel, earning between $11,000 – $19,000. The job has some long working hours attached to it in addition to the extra responsibilities frequently given to receptionists, all factors that contribute to making it a very unpopular choice for many people. Still, it can be a good option for those looking to gain more lucrative employment in the hotel business, as it can be used as a tool to become recognized by the hotel management. In some busier hotels, it can be especially demanding, due to the large number of clients that need to be serviced at any given moment.