International Receptionists' Day

Each year, International Receptionists’ Day on the second Wednesday in May recognizes the important role of receptionists and the valuable contributions they make to the companies where they work.

They are there when you call to make an appointment; they call you to make sure you remember to show up. When you need a referral, they're the one to take the call and make sure it happens, and when the cancellation is announced, they will call you to let you know the change.

They do the paperwork to keep things organized, and they get lunch from their boss while dealing with customer concerns throughout the day.

Without the front desk, it would be impossible for the office to run its day-to-day business smoothly; Reception is celebrating the heroes of office life with their own holiday. You know they deserve it!

History of International Receptionists’ Day

Before talking about the history of Reception, we must take a moment to clearly define what a reception is. People often confuse the terms secretary and receptionist, and while both are extremely important in the day-to-day running of a business, they are not the same thing at all.

A front desk clerk covers many areas of work to support the business they work for, including scheduling appointments, filing, keeping records and a multitude of other office duties, it is all about keeping things running smoothly. They are the first contact most people have with a company and the last face they see on their way out the door.

On the other hand, a secretary does not work for a general business. A secretary performs many of the same functions, but they are specifically dedicated to assisting an individual or at most a small group. A secretary is absolutely vital to the completion of their duties and is deeply involved in managing their projects, communicating needs between them and their clients and sorting out the whole day-to-day mess, usually to exacting standards.

The Festival's reception acknowledges the efforts of the first people, who sort out the entire office's paperwork and customers, phone calls and set up and-and-and-and-and-and-schedule appointments. .. Their work is simply never done, but they keep working.

Why International Receptionists’ Day

• To realize how important the reception is. Usually, when a customer or a guest enters the premises, the receptionist greets them. They make a very important first impression and because of this, they are an integral part of the company in question.
• Promote professionalism and pride among front desk staff in the key role they hold in a business or organization.
• Give front desk staff a chance to bond with other colleagues and share stories. Each year, the initiative gets bigger and bigger and is celebrated by businesses around the world.

Some of our favorite fictional receptionists

The importance of a good receptionist is something that is often brought to life in movies and TV shows. Below, we take a look at some of our favorite fictional front desk clerks:

• Dawn Tinsley - Well, there's only one place to start when it comes to any front desk role, and that's The Office series, which started in the UK and made its way to the US, where it's been wildly successful. In the British version, Dawn Tinsley is the receptionist. She eventually moved to America (on the show, of course!).
• Janine Melnitz - Janine is the receptionist of the movie Ghostbusters! She is the Ghostbusters' personal secretary. Her character was loved above all expectations, leading to her role being increased in the second film.
• Joan Harris - Joan Harris is come from Mad Men. She is considered a sassy and daring character. A woman who really knows what she wants. Considering it's the 60's, she has to put in a lot of effort. She is a woman who works in a predominantly male office, and her strong nature is something we can all be inspired by.
• Miss Moneypenny - Last but not least, we can't talk about fictional, famous front desk clerks without talking about Miss Moneypenny. She appeared in the James Bond films, as a private secretary to M, the head of the British Intelligence Service. In the movies, she is often seen flirting with Bond, who helps show his soft side!

How to celebrate International Receptionists’ Day

If you own a receptionist, let give them a paid day off, you know they need it! You can also take a day and do their job a bit, managing the front desk so you know exactly what they have to do each day. As a customer, you can bring home a basket of healthy fruit and energy-boosting snacks, or just bring them a card. Or just say thank you for everything they do, you know they don't hear often enough!

There are other ways you can show your front desk staff how much they appreciate your business. Why not give them a cash bonus? Or, can you be sure there's a great gift waiting for them when they arrive at work in the morning? You might even want to gather the rest of your workforce and ask them to clap your front desk staff when they walk up to their desk. It's all about making your front desk staff feel good and appreciated.