What does a Receptionist Secretary do?
A receptionist secretary is responsible for providing the best customer service, as well as attending to the needs of existing and potential clients. Duties of a receptionist secretary include managing customer's inquiries and forwarding important calls to the appropriate department, performing administrative and clerical tasks, escalating high-level of client's concerns to the management, keeping the reception area clean, monitoring office supplies and request stocks as needed, and maintaining an organized record of meetings and events. A receptionist secretary must have strong communication and multi-tasking skills to handle workloads of daily operations.
Receptionist secretary responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real receptionist secretary resumes:
- Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
- Maintain confidential information/ HIPPA compliant.
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations and distribute meeting materials.
- Maintain confidentiality and release health records information following HIPPA guidelines.
- Develop and present PowerPoint presentations to visiting dignitaries from higher headquarters.
- Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
- Enter manufacturing orders into the AS400.
- Load machines with require input or output media such as paper, cards, disks, or tape.
- Prepare outgoing FedEx for management staff as requested
Receptionist secretary skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Receptionist Secretaries are proficient in Patients, Data Entry, and Phone Calls. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Receptionist Secretaries that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 15%
Formulated patient-friendly instructions for a medical patient portal and scanning documentation into patients' electronic charts.
- Data Entry, 12%
Handled daily incoming calls, data entry responsibilities and processed accurate information, maintained productivity and efficiency in busy work environment.
- Phone Calls, 11%
Utilized outstanding customer service skills when receiving phone calls regarding shipments from military members.
- Customer Service, 9%
Enhanced ability receiving payments, reconciliation of patient accounts and appropriate service billing while displaying a proven positive customer service model.
- Telephone Calls, 8%
Answered external telephone calls from customers seeking information on securing birth or death certificates.
- Appointment Scheduling, 7%
Worked closely with patients during difficult times assisting them in appointment scheduling, psychological testing and insurance authorizations.
"patients," "data entry," and "phone calls" are among the most common skills that receptionist secretaries use at work. You can find even more receptionist secretary responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a receptionist secretary to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what receptionist secretaries do because "receptionists must speak and write clearly when providing information and corresponding with customers." Additionally, a receptionist secretary resume shows how receptionist secretaries use communication skills: "answered phone calls, did data entry, took care of applications, had good communication skills when people walked in. "
Computer skills. Another essential skill to perform receptionist secretary duties is computer skills. Receptionist secretaries responsibilities require that "receptionists should be adept at using computers." Receptionist secretaries also use computer skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "checked insurance validation, updated computer software, handled outstanding insurance claims. "
Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for receptionist secretaries to perform their duties. For an example of how receptionist secretary responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "receptionists represent the organization, so they should be courteous, professional, and helpful to customers and the public." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a receptionist secretary: "manage marketing, appointment scheduling and customer invoicing. ".
Integrity. A big part of what receptionist secretaries do relies on "integrity." You can see how essential it is to receptionist secretary responsibilities because "receptionists may handle confidential data, especially in medical and legal offices." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical receptionist secretary tasks: "entrusted with daily cash, preparing bank deposits, and completing credit card processing. "
Interpersonal skills. A commonly-found skill in receptionist secretary job descriptions, "interpersonal skills" is essential to what receptionist secretaries do. Receptionist secretary responsibilities rely on this skill because "receptionists should be comfortable interacting with people in different types of situations." You can also see how receptionist secretary duties rely on interpersonal skills in this resume example: "attended phone calls, email and fax inquiries, filing and record keeping excellent interpersonal communication and customer service skills"
Organizational skills. While "organizational skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to receptionist secretary responsibilities. Much of what a receptionist secretary does relies on this skill, seeing as "receptionists take messages, schedule appointments, and maintain employee files." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of receptionist secretaries: "provided clerical and organizational support, performed data entry. "
The three companies that hire the most receptionist secretarys are:
- FFresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership54 receptionist secretaries jobs
- FFresenius Medical Care Windsor, LLC44 receptionist secretaries jobs
- American Addiction Centers4 receptionist secretaries jobs
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Compare different receptionist secretaries
Receptionist secretary vs. Office specialist
An office specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Office specialists must be highly organizational, as well as having excellent time-management skills to handle work units. They have duties including data entry procedures, greeting visitors, responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls and e-mails, and filing and sorting documents. Office specialists are responsible for creating meeting reports, scheduling appointments, evaluating financial statements, coordinating with other staff for event planning, and assisting the senior management with complex functions.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, receptionist secretary responsibilities require skills like "appointment scheduling," "greeting visitors," "routine correspondence," and "computer programs." Meanwhile a typical office specialist has skills in areas such as "office support," "scheduling appointments," "financial reports," and "office operations." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Office specialists really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $37,752. Comparatively, receptionist secretaries tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $30,128.office specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than receptionist secretaries. In fact, office specialists are 3.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist secretary vs. Switchboard operator, receptionist
An administrative receptionist is responsible for performing administrative tasks, handling visitors' inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department, as well as handling and routing calls. Administrative receptionists also keep records of the staff meeting and executive conference, including company and promotional events. They receive packages and mail, sort documents, manage office supply inventories, create incident reports, and report suspicious guests within the premises. An administrative receptionist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, especially on resolving and escalating complaints.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real receptionist secretary resumes. While receptionist secretary responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "phone calls," "appointment scheduling," and "payroll," switchboard operators, receptionist use skills like "scheduling appointments," "emergency calls," "multi-line switchboard," and "route calls."
Switchboard operators, receptionist earn a lower average salary than receptionist secretaries. But switchboard operators, receptionist earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $28,656. Additionally, receptionist secretaries earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $30,128 annually.In general, switchboard operators, receptionist achieve similar levels of education than receptionist secretaries. They're 0.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist secretary vs. Administrative receptionist
Front desk receptionists are usually the first contact of clients or visitors in an office or building. They are responsible for welcoming and receiving guests, documenting guests' arrival and updating the visitor logbook, informing hosts and other involved employees that the guests have arrived, and directing the guests to where they should go next. They also man telephone lines, schedule appointments, receive packages or mails, and answer office visitors' questions. Front desk receptionists are expected to be personable, knowledgeable on office-related activities, and familiar with everyone.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, receptionist secretaries are more likely to have skills like "administrative functions," "routine correspondence," "computer programs," and "secretarial support." But a administrative receptionist is more likely to have skills like "hr," "meeting rooms," "expense reports," and "provides administrative support."
Administrative receptionists earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $32,669. Receptionist secretaries earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $30,128.When it comes to education, administrative receptionists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to receptionist secretaries. In fact, they're 1.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Receptionist secretary vs. Front desk receptionist
Types of receptionist secretary
Updated January 8, 2025
