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A while back I posted about the guy that tossed his overcoat on my desk and told me to "hang it up, hun." He blew a branch management job with those four words.
I work in sales and have watched plenty of coworkers blow deals with just that attitude.
I've been a receptionist for 24 years, the last 19 of it for city government. I work in the Planning-Building-Engineering department, and I filled the job after they went through 6 receptionists in a 6-month period. It's a very difficult job to learn because it's a large department, and to do the job well one has to know what each individual does, and each division/individual handles phones differently. When I accepted the job the first thing I did was make an effort to know everyone there as quickly as possible.
What I am NOT good at, is allowing co-workers to "hide" behind me. I don't figure that's what I'm paid for ~ I'm paid to transfer the calls and hook them up to their proper contact person.
I also get very irritated when people disappear for long periods and schedule time off without letting me know.
But I've never been shy. If I suspect that someone is "back there" and just not responding, or is standing around yacking when a customer needs him/her, I just leave my post and go fetch them. This was something that my supervisor has bitched about for years because she didn't want me to leave the front desk unattended, but I think I eventually convinced her that in order to do my job efficiently I must extend myself past the enclosure of my work station.
I DO apply a lot of psychology to my job, both on the phone and in-person. And fleetiebelle is right, it doesn't pay to be an a--hole to receptionists because most of us have memories like elephants, and we have our "little ways".
I've been burned out on the job for a very long time, though. I do it well, but I never get up looking forward to it.
I started out as an Admin and worked my way up to Executive Admin to the Partners and Marketing Mgr. When I was hired by the CFO, she told me, you can either be the person who just answers the phone, and do some filing or you can find other things in the company to take over and make a position your own.
Find other things to do and move up...ultimately, its up to you.
When I was hired by the CFO, she told me, you can either be the person who just answers the phone, and do some filing or you can find other things in the company to take over and make a position your own.
Find other things to do and move up.
Why? I enjoy just being the receptionist. I was just saying I don't appreciate the treatment admin staff get sometimes.
Why? I enjoy just being the receptionist. I was just saying I don't appreciate the treatment admin staff get sometimes.
Well more power to you if you can be happy doing that sort of thing for the rest of your life. That's all that matters. Are you sure you don't have something else in mind? Just curious.
Well more power to you if you can be happy doing that sort of thing for the rest of your life. That's all that matters. Are you sure you don't have something else in mind? Just curious.
I have been trying to work out exactly what I'd like to do for many years, but honestly I have come to really like the reception role. I have my own personal space and get to meet a lot of people.
I'm not happy with all my tasks of course... I have been at my current place for 6 years and I am still getting coffees like I did when I was an intern, but that's the life of a receptionist isn't it?
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