All organizations want to make a good first impression, and this is the job of the receptionist, who often is the first representative of the organization that a caller encounters. One primary duty of receptionists, particularly those in large cities, is a security function seeing who belongs in a given place and who does not. They also may be expected to monitor the attendance of employees and report this to management. Another major responsibility of the receptionist is to answer the telephone and route the calls to the proper individual or department.
Receptionists receive visitors and answer telephone calls.
Receptionists greet customers and other visitors, determine their needs, and refer callers to the person who can help them. They also answer questions from the public. Those in hospitals and doctors' offices, for example, may obtain personal and financial information and then direct patients to the proper waiting rooms. At beauty or hair salons, they arrange appointments and may direct customers to the hairstylist. In factories or large business firms and government offices, they provide identification cards and arrange for escorts to take callers to the proper office.