14 Receptionist Interview Questions and Answers

The receptionist interview questions you can expect are likely to be a
challenging mix of behavioral-based interview questions, questions that explore
your skills and experience and questions that evaluate your motivational fit
with the company and co-workers. 

Use our sample interview answers and guidelines to impress as the right receptionist job candidate.

Receptionist Interview Questions - skills and experience

1. How many calls did you take on an average day in your last job?

2. What sort of people did you interact with on a daily basis?

Highlight your ability to handle multiple calls and diverse customers while remaining
professional and composed.

3. What sort of inquiries did you have to handle?

Describe the type of information you were expected to provide and to whom.

• Emphasize how you used your knowledge of the company and it's services to respond
  efficiently to these queries.
• Discuss the steps you took to find out information
  when you didn't have it readily to hand.

4. What were your primary responsibilities?

This is your opportunity to highlight your suitability for the job.

"I
was responsible for handling a wide range of calls, dealing with everyone who
entered the company, providing information to customers, answering queries,
providing general administrative support to the company and monitoring the
reception area"

Make sure you cover what is required by the potential employer for the
receptionist job opportunity.

Receptionist Job Description

5. What computer skills do you have?

Describe your level of proficiency in the various programs you have worked
with such as MS Office.

• Give an indication of the type of
  documents you have created.
• Refer to the office equipment, including
  telecommunication systems, that you are familiar with.

6. What are the most important skills for a receptionist?

Articulate your understanding of the role of the receptionist - you are the
"face" of the company and play a critical role in the customer's perception of
the organization.

Some core competencies for this job are:

• communication skills
• the ability to handle stress
• 
  problem-solving
• teamwork

Other
characteristics such as;

• dependability
• punctuality
• integrity

are essential.

list of employee strengths here. Highlight your strengths as they relate directly to the job opportunity.

8. What do you consider to be your weaknesses?

Mention
one or two areas of weakness and discuss what you are doing to improve
on them. This list of weaknesses and sample weaknesses interview answers
at interview question weaknesses will help you.

Behavioral  Receptionist Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a recent situation where you had to handle a difficult customer?

Communication is key to this answer. Discuss your ability to listen closely, to
ask the right questions to be able to understand and meet the customer's needs. Customer
service behavioral interview questions

2. Describe how you organize your tasks for the day?

The ability to plan and organize your tasks for the day is key to successful
job performance.

Discuss how you prioritize your tasks each day to meet
deadlines and demands.

• What systems do you use to schedule and keep track of
  your activities?
• What resources do you make use of?

Receptionists deal with many different demands. In your answer show how you
are able to adapt to meet changing priorities and to multitask. 

3. Tell me about a tough problem you had to sort out recently.

Focus on how you were able to identify and analyze the problem in order to
come up with possible solutions. What information and resources did you use to
understand how to resolve the situation?

4. Can you give me an example of where you used your initiative in your
previous job?

Provide an example of where you came up with a better way to do something or
made a recommendation for improvements in the current system.

• What changes have
  you implemented?
• How have you gone beyond the confines of your job description?

How to Answer behavioral interview questions

Receptionist Interview Questions - motivation

1. Why do you want to work as a receptionist for this company?

Make good use of your background research on the company to answer this
question. Find a couple of specific reasons why you are interested in the
organization. For example:

"Your company has an outstanding reputation for providing
excellent products and customer service. I would like to be a part of this and,
as a front-line receptionist, contribute to your standing in the industry"

More Sample Answers

2. What do you like and dislike about working as a receptionist?

Start with what you enjoy about the job and make your answer relevant to the
duties involved in the position you are applying for.

Examples include:

• meeting
  and dealing with diverse people
• using your initiative to assist people
• providing a high level of customer service

Your dislikes should not relate to the job opportunity requirements.

• Avoid
  complaining about working conditions such as overtime and the office
  environment.
• Stay away from criticism of co-workers, your managers and
  customers.

The best way to handle the dislike question is to refer to the absence of
something in your previous job such as the lack of opportunity to use your
initiative or make decisions.

Expect common interview questions in your frontline receptionist interview

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Top 10 Interview Questions

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Behavioral Interview Questions

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Hard Interview Questions

Common Interview Questions and Answers

Receptionist interview questions to ask the employer

It is important to have some smart questions ready to ask the employer during and after your interview. Asking good questions shows a level of professionalism and interest that employers look for in job candidates.

This complete list of good questions to ask will help you draw up your own list of questions.

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Interview Guides > Receptionist Interview Questions