How to become Receptionists and Information Clerk in 2024

Receptionists and Information Clerk Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.

Receptionists and Information Clerk is Also Know as

In different settings, Receptionists and Information Clerk is titled as

  • Clerk Specialist
  • Front Desk Receptionist
  • Greeter
  • Information Assistant (Info Assistant)
  • Medical Receptionist
  • Member Services Representative (Member Services Rep)
  • Office Assistant
  • Receptionist
  • Registration Clerk
  • Scheduler

Education and Training of Receptionists and Information Clerk

Receptionists and Information Clerk is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Receptionists and Information Clerk

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Receptionists and Information Clerk

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Receptionists and Information Clerk

Training Required for Receptionists and Information Clerk

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Receptionists and Information Clerk in different industries are

What Do Receptionists and Information Clerk do?

  • Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
  • Receive payment and record receipts for services.
  • Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents.
  • Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
  • Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
  • File and maintain records.
  • Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
  • Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
  • Analyze data to determine answers to questions from customers or members of the public.
  • Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provided.
  • Keep a current record of staff members' whereabouts and availability.
  • Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
  • Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.
  • Take orders for merchandise or materials and send them to the proper departments to be filled.
  • Process and prepare memos, correspondence, travel vouchers, or other documents.
  • Schedule space or equipment for special programs and prepare lists of participants.
  • Enroll individuals to participate in programs and notify them of their acceptance.
  • Conduct tours or deliver talks describing features of public facilities, such as a historic site or national park.
  • Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.

Qualities of Good Receptionists and Information Clerk

  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.

Tools Used by Receptionists and Information Clerk

  • Credit card processing machines
  • Data input scanners
  • Desktop computers
  • Dictation equipment
  • Electric typewriters
  • Filing Cabinets
  • Handheld calculators
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Multi-line switchboards
  • Multi-line telephone systems
  • Personal computers
  • Photocopying equipment
  • Postage machines
  • Public address PA systems
  • Scanners
  • Switchboards

Technology Skills required for Receptionists and Information Clerk

  • 3M Post-it App
  • Alpha Software Alpha Five
  • Appointment scheduling software
  • Automated information system software
  • Billing software
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Bookkeeping software
  • Claim processing system software
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Customer relationship management CRM software
  • Data entry software
  • Database software
  • Desktop publishing software
  • Electronic calendar management software
  • Electronic health record EHR software
  • Email software
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Filing system software
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • Google Docs
  • Google Drive
  • HMS
  • IBM Check Processing Control System CPSC
  • IBM Notes
  • Intrado SchoolMessenger
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS
  • McKesson Lytec
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server MOSS
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • St. Paul Travelers e-CARMA
  • Web browser software