Front office employees are versatile and handle tasks such as reception, record-keeping, customer service, and paperwork. They serve as mediators between departments and require good communication and computer skills.
A company’s main office is often a whirlwind of activity, regardless of the type of organization. A front office employee is usually a jack of all trades, able to move quickly and efficiently from one task to the next. Some of the more common types of front office jobs include acting as a receptionist, maintaining files and records, working as a liaison between departments, and managing office paperwork. Computer and customer service skills are a must for most types of front office jobs.
Since the front office is usually the first thing customers see when they walk into the business, good receptionist and customer service skills are often required in front office work. Employees must be able to provide accurate information to visitors, as well as being polite and efficient. This type of work can also include scheduling meetings between employers and clients and treating VIP visitors with extra attention. In addition to dealing with customers face-to-face, front desk employees often serve as the telephone or email point of contact for customers and are expected to maintain good manners in both areas.
Archiving and record keeping are often an important part of front office work. Each company may have a different paper filing system, as well as different ways to back up computer data. Front office employees must work quickly to learn and use all filing systems and may be called upon to train new workers in the art and practice of record keeping. Periodically, front office employees may be involved in archiving files or moving them from temporary storage space in the office to a permanent, off-site storage area.
A dentist and a nurse who work in the same clinic may not have much contact with each other, but they both likely work in close contact with the front office. Since front office personnel often serve as the hub of a company, much front office work involves serving as mediators or communicators between unrelated departments. This can help office workers gain a smattering of what each department manages so that queries or requests from other departments reach the right person efficiently. Helping different departments coordinate smoothly is a significant way in which front office work contributes to a company’s overall efficiency.
Much front office work involves creating, distributing, and managing office paperwork. In addition to paperwork generated by customers, such as order forms, front desk employees also often transmit paperwork between offices. It is often necessary to become familiar with copy machines, fax machines, scanners and computer graphics programs in front office jobs. Because many companies use industry-specific software to create certain types of forms and records, new employees may spend a few weeks training just to understand creating and distributing office paperwork.
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