A good reception can make your business feel like it has some structure. Someone to answer the phone reliably and send customers through where necessary, and that takes more than just years on a CV. If you are hiring, look for traits that demonstrate how someone is likely to behave in true front-desk time.

A great receptionist can find calm in chaos. The reception is also the nerve centre, phones ringing and visitors coming in through the door. Give an example question asking for a time where competing demands needed balancing and gauge the panic in their response vs. clarity of priorities.

Next, prioritise warmth with boundaries. The right kind of receptionists are friendly, but firm and can manage to say ‘no’ nicely (versus actually saying it), follow certain processes themselves as well as sometimes lead callers through processes without making the whole situation awkward or ugly. A promising signal would be being able to detail how they interact with tardy attendees, disgruntled customers or private disclosures. Why not consider an AI Receptionist by visiting My AI Frontdesk

The same goes for detail in specific episodes. Little mistakes can have huge repercussions: incorrect contact details, lost messages not to mention double bookings! Simply offer a basic test task (i.e., record this message with 90% accuracy or locate the errors in this appointment list) and see how they perform.

Hire for communication style and not just confidence. After all you need someone who is an active listener, has well-spoken communication abilities, and can quickly adjust their tone depending on who they are speaking to – nervous clients or harried suppliers.

More than just experience, though; your ideal receptionist is a guardian of time; an advocate for your customers, and in their actions represents the brand you built.