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Quick Look Course Summary:Professional Receptionist Training (2 days)
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Length: 2 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 10,326 EX VAT 3 Person R 7,594 EX VAT 10 Person R 5,537 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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Professional Receptionist Training (2 days)
A reception area that looks professional, runs safely and securely, and gives every visitor the right first impression of your organisation.
Your reception desk sees everyone who comes to the business – clients, job candidates, suppliers, couriers, contractors and, now and then, people who should not be let in. What they find there – a tidy, branded waiting area, a calm welcome and a clear sign-in process, or clutter, confusion and an unattended desk – shapes their view of the whole organisation. This receptionist training gives front-desk staff the standards and routines to run the reception area properly.
Day one covers the reception area itself: daily presentation checks against your corporate standards, housekeeping and safety, emergency procedures, and security at the front desk – verifying visitors, issuing visitor cards, working with security staff and following access and firearm policies. Day two covers the services reception provides: welcoming and looking after visitors, handling upset visitors, answering the telephone and taking accurate messages, managing mail and couriers, hospitality and meeting rooms, and controlling stationery and reception supplies.
Delegates practise with role-plays and inspection checklists, and leave with a daily reception routine and a personal action plan.
Why this course
For your organisation
- A front desk that reflects your brand and standards every day
- Tighter visitor control and fewer security lapses
- A safer reception area for staff and visitors
- Reliable handling of messages, mail and deliveries
- Better control of stationery and reception supplies
For your delegates
- A daily checklist for the presentation and safety of your area
- Clear procedures for visitors, contractors and deliveries
- Confidence with difficult or aggressive visitors
- Practical routines for messages, mail and hospitality
What delegates will be able to do
- Inspect the reception area daily against organisational presentation standards
- Maintain a clean, safe reception area and report hazards for remedial action
- Apply visitor security procedures, including identification, visitor cards and escorts
- Work with security personnel and follow workplace policy on firearms and restricted items
- Report and help resolve security discrepancies and incidents
- Welcome and look after visitors professionally, including difficult or upset visitors
- Answer and transfer calls professionally and take accurate, complete messages
- Receive, record and distribute mail, couriers and deliveries
- Provide hospitality to visitors and prepare meeting rooms
- Monitor and control stationery and reception supplies
Who should attend
Receptionists, front-desk and switchboard staff, office assistants and secretaries who are responsible for a reception area, and supervisors who manage front-of-house teams. It suits newly appointed and experienced receptionists alike.
Course outline
Day 1 – Running a safe, secure and professional reception area
The reception area and first impressions
- Reception as the face of the organisation
- Who walks through the door: clients, candidates, suppliers, contractors and unwelcome visitors
- Organisational standards, corporate identity and branding at reception
- Personal presentation and professional conduct at the desk
Presentation of the reception area
- A daily inspection checklist
- Furniture, signage, reading material and the waiting area
- Spotting areas that do not meet the standard
- Recording non-conformances and following up remedial action
Housekeeping, health and safety
- Housekeeping standards in line with workplace policy
- Keeping services running without disruption
- Hazards: spills, trailing cables, blocked exits and clutter
- Emergency procedures, evacuation and first aid at reception
- Basic employer and employee duties under the OHS Act – general guidance
- Load-shedding and outages: gates, access systems, lighting and phones
Security at the front desk
- Verifying visitors' identity and the purpose of the visit
- Visitor registers, visitor cards and permits
- Escorting visitors and controlling access to work areas
- Working with security personnel
- Firearm procedures in line with workplace policy
- Visitor information and POPIA: collect only what you need and keep it secure
Incidents and discrepancies
- Suspicious behaviour, unattended items and suspicious parcels
- Threatening visitors and when to call security or the police
- Recording and reporting incidents and discrepancies
- Following through until the problem is fixed
Day 2 – Front-desk services
Welcoming and looking after visitors
- Greeting, signing in and announcing visitors
- Managing waiting times and keeping visitors informed
- Visitors with special needs and accessibility requirements
- Keeping confidential conversations and information away from the counter
Difficult and upset visitors
- Why visitors become angry or frustrated
- Staying calm and managing your own emotions
- Listening, acknowledging and acting
- Knowing when to involve a manager or security
Telephone and messages
- Answering calls with a professional greeting
- Transferring and holding calls while serving visitors at the desk
- Taking complete messages: who, what, when and how to call back
- Passing messages on promptly by email, chat or message slip
- Following up messages that are not returned
Mail, couriers and deliveries
- Receiving, logging and sorting incoming mail
- Signing for couriers and registered items
- Distributing mail and deliveries promptly
- Outgoing mail and courier bookings
- Handling confidential and suspicious items
Hospitality and meeting rooms
- Offering refreshments and making visitors comfortable
- Preparing meeting rooms and boardrooms
- Dietary and cultural considerations
- Room bookings and resolving clashes
Stationery, supplies and action plan
- Monitoring stationery and reception supplies
- Reordering, issuing and preventing shrinkage
- Your daily reception routine
- Personal action plan, evaluation and close
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; checklists and role-plays can be based on your own reception procedures. Workbook, inspection checklist and visitor and message templates included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
“The course was efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by both the quality of training and the Facilitators.”
“The training was very informative and practical, leaving our employees feeling confident in their ability to leverage Excel more effectively.”
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Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. Larger front-desk teams are often split over two sessions so that reception stays covered.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
How is this different from Reception and Telephone Etiquette Training?
Professional Receptionist Training is about running the reception area: its presentation, safety, security, visitors, mail and supplies. Reception and Telephone Etiquette Training goes deeper into telephone skills and business etiquette. Many organisations send front-desk staff on both.
Can it follow our own security and visitor procedures?
Yes. Send us your visitor, access-control and emergency procedures and the facilitator uses them in the exercises, so staff practise your rules rather than generic ones.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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