Thursday Thirteen #45 – Thirteen Things People Assume About Receptionists
Posted on 20 August 2008
1. We’re uneducated. As for myself and the person sitting next to me, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
2. We will connect you to the CEO, president, or some other person that has no desire to speak with you. We can, but you have got to be kidding.
3. We have all the answers at our fingertips. Most, but not all.
4. We have no other calls coming in and we can keep you on hold as long as you want to be there. Wrong again, bucko. Especially when there is only one receptionist here. Please just leave a message. PLEASE.
5. We can make the person you called for 5 minutes ago, who we told you had just stepped out to lunch and would be back in an hour, appear magically out of a snag in our No nonsense® knee highs. And then a second time out of our tightly wound bun when you call again 10 minutes later.
6. We are too lazy to transfer your call. I really need to file my nails now, you should call again later.
7. We are lying when we tell you that someone is in a meeting. And again when they are still in that meeting. It’s not like they are working or anything.
8. We are bimbos. See #1.
9. We were hired to be the eye-candy. I don’t know, this may be true.
10. We enjoy it when you ogle us from the other side of the front desk. Obviously, because we’re uneducated bimbos and eye-candy.
11. We are nosy. All the questions we’re asking you are just so that we can know everything about you. It’s not so we can do our jobs or anything like that.
12. We can control whether or not the person you want to speak with actually picks up the phone. Listen to me — if they don’t pick up the phone, they have let you go to voice mail. They do not want to talk to you right now. Please leave a message and they will get back to you as soon as…oh forget it. Whenever the boss walks by and they need to look busy.
13. We can totally give you the president’s cell phone number. What planet are you from? Oh, you’re a personal friend? Right, that’s why you hang up whenever we tell you we have no access to that number (that’s sitting right in front of us, but come on, we’d like to keep our jobs).
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Related posts:
- Thursday Thirteen #30 – Thirteen (Living) People I’d Like to Meet and Possibly Have Breakfast With
- Thursday Thirteen #19
- Thursday Thirteen
49 comments to Thursday Thirteen #45 – Thirteen Things People Assume About Receptionists
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ElizabethOklahoma girl through-and-through. Writer, aspiring domestic goddess and totalitarian dictator. Taking on the world one carb-induced coma at a time. Founder of GodlyGals, a ministry for women established in 2002. Co-host on The GodlyGals Podcast. More...
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I loved this! I did my time behind the desk and can confirm they’re all true! My boss saw me take a biography along with me to lunch and actually asked me who told me what books to read. FAUX BIMBOS UNITE!
THAT’S A GREAT TT!
I’ll add to this (as I’ve been a part time receptionist as part of my job duties before) that people think we (they) are phone books, especially if they got the wrong number. “Well, what’s the number to xxxx?” I AM NOT YOUR PHONEBOOK.
I was a receptionist for a while and you are right on target!
teehee
This is all so true! In another lifetime I was a receptionist, and this is right on. Actually, I interviewed for a receptionist position today even. It’s been more than ten years, but I’ve still got it in me… and then some!
Ah, the dreaded gatekeepers! I always used to tell my sales staff never, ever get on the wrong side of a customer’s receptionist. By the way, you can always tell if someone actually was at a meeting — they call you back when the meeting’s over!
happy tt and it’s sad that folks make assumptions about postions, races and gender. But, I love when folks are surprised that I’m nothing like the stereotypes.
Since we are a staff of 6, we all share phone duties and I was nodding and laughing at everything you listed here.
Great list, Ilaughed a lot though I never worked as a receptionist, but I get a good picture of the job
Happy TT and greets
Julia
P.S.: There are similiar occassion in my job as a barkeeper. People got the list of beverages in their hands, which includes 3 brands of beer and ask what beer we’ve got. And all you can do is keep on smiling *sigh*
I used to do receptionist work and you nailed it….give out the CEO’s cell number….hahahaha Happy TT.
All too true!
I learned from one of my journalism college instructors to ALWAYS be nice to receptionists and secretaries because they often know MORE than the CEOs. Too few people realize that.
Nope, I dont believe any of those. Ive seen the job, I wouldnt want it. Its a rough one!! Happy TT from someone who has seen you guys in motion and is thankful to have you around.
Hey I really liked this list. I run my own business and I think I will give this list to my receptionist and have her post it on her desk, maybe frame it so when people come in they can read it before they open their mouths! Great list really. And BTW – I believe receptionists are the backbone of any company – a foundation no company can fore go and if receptionists were really dumb, we would all be out of business.
My TT is up here.
That is wonderful! Did someone set you off this week. I love it!
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
I love this TT! Sadly I think my hubby things all the above are true.
I used to be a representative for a major insurance company and I was able to relate to a lot of these.
Thanks for the chuckles. Great post.
Alice at I Was Born2Cree8
Or My 24th Thursday 13
What a great list! A good receptionist is hard to find. Ours retired last fall and we miss her so much, her replacement leaves much to be desired.
Keep up the good work! Happy TT!
What a creative idea for a TT! I did temp as a receptionist for two weeks, I was horrible at it. Absolutely horrible.
Long ago, in a city far, far away, I worked as a receptionist for many years…it was a fulfilling job (to me), but it’s hard. Great list!!
Happy TT!!
[...] time as receptionists (or still are), I thought I would share a few items from my list of “Thirteen Things People Assume About Receptionists.” Do chime in if you can [...]
My mom had a guy keep calling and telling her that he needed to talk to the boss right now for a meeting between his boss and that boss, but he didn’t even know the guys name. He kept calling and telling her that when he does get through that she will lose her job over this and on and on, lol.
I don’t think anyone thought I was eye-candy when I worked, lol, but I did get lots of fun calls.
I couldn’t agree more with the fact that many people think that Receptionists are basically brain dead. Also, I’ve been told by many people that they most employers won’t hire a Receptionist if that person isn’t attractive.
So, which is worse– the people that you have to deal with on the phone or the ones you deal with in person? I would think that the people you can put on hold may be easier to manage than the person that shows up and won’t go away.
Happy T13!
I’ve never worked as a receptionist. I’m a teacher and on that rare occassion when I’ve been in the office and was asked to cover the phone for a minute while the sec. ran to the bathroom I prayed that the phone did NOT ring. I am very good at hanging up on people when trying to transfer them and I never know the answer to any question. I have great respect for those of you who can keep it all straight. Oh, and I always try to be nice to the lady who answers the phone — she can help.
Loved your post!
On the money! So true, and so poignant!
Great TT, but you’ve totally destroyed my opinion of receptionists. Now I’ll have to find someone else to think of as brainless bimbos.
Happy TT
Never underestimate receptionists! I have great respect for them. Great list, Elizabeth! Come check out my TT today…
Very entertaining! I’ll try not to be “one of those people” in the future.
I love this, how true some of these are!!!!!
So true, so true… I love when people call asking to speak to the company owner and when I say he offices out of the home office, well, can I have that number or his cell phone… I actually had one guy say that he’d “lost” it and just needed it again. Geez… how stupid do they think… wait, nevermind, see #1.
Great Thursday 13. Mine is here.
That’s great. hey, I’ve always thought receptionists and admin assistants are the real ‘keepers of the kingdom’. They know all and have access to the big guns.
Visiting from SITS and I can’t believe you’ve been blogging for 13 years. That’s amazing.
Your photos are absolutely beautiful.
Enjoy your day in the spotlight.
That made me smile which is how I like to start my day. Happy SITS Day, Ms. Wisabus! Enjoy the comment love today.
Hanneke
great post.
i think i might put something like this for architects…. a very misunderstood profession. (probably because of hollywood).
visiting from SITS – congrats on your day!
- agata.
Great post! I used to be an ad min so I know it’s those people that make the office tick. Never piss one of them off!
Happy SITS day.
As a current receptionist, I can completely relate to everything on this list! Especially #4. and #1. and #9. and…
Happy SITS day!!
Hahahaha! This totally cracked me up! WE all deal with receptionists, don’t we?
Thanks for the perspective,
CK
I love this list! I am an office manager but handle the majority of the calls for our department and I deal with these issues every day! Ugh! Thanks for the laugh! Stopping by from SITS!
I started out as a receptionist, way back in the 1970s. I love this list. I always wanted to ask people who wanted to talk to the boss, “Do you want to talk to the boss, or to the person in charge? Because there’s definitely a difference.”
Receptionists are the eyes and ears of every company! I used to teach career prep at a tech school and would always tell the students to treat the front desk staff with respect when they went on interviews because you never know if they will get asked their opinion on the person being interviewed. If they had been rude, it could ruin their chance of a job.
Happy SITS Day-love this post and the idea behind it
I am a nurse and interestingly enough, some of those same things hold true for my profession like the eye candy.
Congrats on your SITS day.
Smart. Cute. Funny. My husband IS in meetings all the time. He hates it. It keeps him from getting his work done. Happy SITS Day.
Reading each of these take me back to my days of being a receptionist – and just how annoying the customers could be!
I about lost myself sitting up here at the front desk reading these. I only do this part-time since our normal receptionist is in college (ref #1) currently. And let me just add one more:
We have a company directory, you work in the office, please don’t hit -0- just to get XYZ’s extension when you can clearly access this information on your own.
Happy SITS day!
Wow, I feel like you took this right out of my mind. AMEN to all of them.
Happy SITS day (again) I already commented but had to say something here. This is downright hilarious, and true I’m sure. It reminds me of the book I want to write “Tales from a Teller” I work at a bank, you see. After reading these posts, I’m definitely going to be following your blog. I love your writing!
Hilarious! One of my all time favorites – I remember exactly who you are. I can’t even remember how many times people are like, “This is Steve. Put me through to Bob.” “And what’s your company Steve?” “THIS IS STEVE. I called 2 weeks ago. He knows who I am, just put me through.” Right. Because you’re the only Steve who EVER calls and out of dozens of calls every day I remember you specifcally from weeks ago….
Never assume!
I LOVE this list! I used to be a receptionist for an uber lawyer in town and every single thing on this list is true. Although my boss wanted me to be the keeper of his gate, I would refuse to lie if he was in the office and wouldn’t take a call. It drove him mad! It made my day! I love your photos and now I’m gonna follow you.
My best, Lynn
http://safebeauty.blogspot.com