Receptionist (Scale 5)

Front of House Receptionist Main Purpose of the Role:

Provide professional reception services, offering solution to enquiries and problems, delivering efficient and consistently high levels of Customer Service through meeting, greeting and sign posting visitors, providing advice, triage enquiries as necessary, dealing with vulnerable customers with mental health, assisting customers who have no access to digital systems supporting them with documents for other services, dealing with enquiries and issuing visitors and staff passes. This may relate to visitors, general public, staff, management and Council Members. Personal responsibilities and duties are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. To deal with difficult and challenging visitors, identifying safeguarding issues and reporting to the relevant departments in conjunction with Security staff. To always act in a professional and courteous manner Ensuring high levels of Customer Satisfaction and First Contact Resolution to customers and visitors. To effectively handle and respond to customer contact, which could be difficult or relate to emergency situations, undertaking such follow-up work as may be required to ensure a satisfactory conclusion. Ensure ongoing achievement of all Front of House Key Performance Indicators (KPI�s) including Customer Satisfaction and First Contact Resolution. Reducing telephone and face to face demand by educating customers to use on-line and other self-service methods. Undertake duties and working practices in a professional manner so as to meet the operational needs of the corporate buildings, their associated activities and service provision. Support the setup of the meeting rooms in the Civic Suite, ensure sufficient stationery levels, refreshments (teas/ coffees) and other supplies including the replenishment of office break out areas in Laurence House Management of meeting room reservations and hire, calculating pricing and preparation of invoices for authorisation, sending confirmations, updating systems, printing and distribution. 10. Prioritise and re-prioritise bookings of meetings/ conferences and their participants based on unforeseen circumstances and emergencies as advised by senior management. 11. To have a good understanding of and commitment to relevant Health and Safety issues and to keep abreast of H&S issues as they arise in the workplace identifying and reporting correctly. Send out Risk Assessments for completion by the end user as and when necessary, prior to events. 12. Undertake a range of civic duties to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the Civic Suite conferencing activities and events, identify any IT issues, or faults to the relevant departments for resolution to minimise disruption. 13. Carry out fire alarm and other important staff and public announcements using the PA/VA system and act as fire Marshall. 14. To invoke (where required) Business Continuity Processes relating to Front of House Reception services. 15. Deal with difficult, challenging visitors, identifying safeguarding issues and reporting to the relevant departments in conjunction with Security staff. 16. Ensure that all customer enquiries are handled in line with agreed quality frameworks to ensure compliance and ongoing Quality Accreditation. 17. Ensure robust diary management in terms of adherence to rotas, scheduled training and other activities. 18. Work on own initiative as and when required. 19. Maintain a good working knowledge of all relevant systems and processes to provide an efficient and effective service. 20. To learn and deliver further services that may be incorporated into the Front of House service delivery. 21. Provide training, mentoring, and coaching of new staff as may be required. 22. Provide cover for absence from time to time as may be required across other areas of the Front of House Service (e.g. Post Room, Civic Suite Technical Facilities Officers, and Scanning Team etc.) 23. Support the Front of House Operations Manager with compiling the reception weekly rota and other similar tasks. 24. Managing daily the scanning of post for several departments using the Multi Functioning Devices 25. Responding daily to residents and customer issues/queries which come in via the Council�s website using Council�s web communication system. 26. Keep up to date with trends in reception services maintaining a full understanding of techniques and practices and statutory requirements both within own field and related disciplines ensuring continual professional development through training and directorate communication. 27. Operate and use appropriate technology systems to promote efficient and effective working arrangements and practices; maintain all necessary programme and performance records. 28. Organising families and professionals on arrival at the corporate reception for case conferences 29. Carry out all duties with due respect for the Council�s Equal Opportunities Policy and Core Values. 30. Provide input for service improvements associated with reception services. 31. Carry out any other duties as required supporting the FOH and Facilities Management teams. All employees are required to: 1. Participate in appraisals and to undertake appropriate training and development identified to enhance their work. 2. Perform the duties of the post with due regard to the Council�s Dignity at Work Policy and core value. 3. All employees are required to always comply with the Council�s Health & Safety policies and procedures, taking due care for themselves, colleagues and members of the public. 4. Assist in carrying out the Council's environmental policy within the day to day activities of the post. 5. Undertake other duties, commensurate with the grade, as may reasonably be required. 6. Treat all information acquired through employment, both formally and informally, in strict confidence. Contacts: These will include: Internal Contacts: These may include Chief Officers, Elected members, other Councillors, senior staff in other Directorates, fellow members of staff, members of the key governance boards and working groups - including visitors, general public, staff, management, Council Members, Lewisham Homes, building tenants. External Contacts: These may include senior staff of local authorities, Trade Union officials, members of the public, local interest groups and voluntary sector organisations and strategic partners and stakeholders. Private Sector: These may include consultants/consultancies, Council�s commercial lessees, developers, strategic partners and stakeholders, contractors and suppliers, and professional bodies. THIS JOB DESCRIPTION MAY NEED TO BE AMENDED BY THE DIRECTORATE TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE SERVICE. Number of fully managed staff: Number of partially managed staff: 0 0 Plus external consultants and contractors: 0 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM PERSON SPECIFICATION Designation: Catford Complex Receptionist Grade: Scale 5 Reports to (Designation): Front of House Team Leader Grade: PO4 Directorate: Corporate Resources Section: Soft Services - Facilities Management Note to Candidates: The Person Specification is a picture of the skills, knowledge and experience needed to carry out the job. It has been used to draw up the advert and will also be used in the shortlisting and interview process for this post. Those categories marked 'S' will be used especially for the purpose of shortlisting. Equal Opportunities Awareness of and a commitment to Equality of Access and Opportunity in a diverse community. S Understanding of how equality and diversity relates to this post S Knowledge Knowledge and understanding of Best Practice Customer Service S Good working knowledge of the principles and techniques involved in delivering a comprehensive range of modern and responsive reception services for a large and complex organisation. S Aptitude A commitment to delivering excellent Customer Service that meets the needs of customers. Ability to follow procedures and work instructions. S Ability to learn and deliver new services incorporated into the new way of working for the Council Ability to train, mentor and coach staff S An ability to work with a flexible and adaptable approach Able to act confidently, decisively and in a professional manner at all times Able to deal firmly and diplomatically with a wide range of people and situations S Skills Excellent Customer Service skills S Excellent time management Excellent written and verbal communication skills Excellent administrative and organisational skills Excellent interpersonal skills Excellent ICT skills Good keyboard skills S S S S S S Experience Experience of working in a high pressure/ demanding front-line customer facing service S S Experience of dealing and resolving customer enquiries and complaints to their satisfactory conclusion. Experience of using relevant IT systems (e.g. MS Office/ QMatic/ Other relevant systems/ databases). Experience of dealing with challenging customers S Experience of working within a Performance Management Culture Performance & Quality targets. Qualification Experience of dealing with emergency situations and invoking Emergency Planning/ Business Continuity Processes Experience of effectively handling confidential and sensitive information Good levels of literacy and Numeracy S S Personal Qualities S Customer focused. Punctual / excellent timekeeping To be self-disciplined S Ability to work effectively on own or as part of a team Flexible with a positive attitude towards change Calm approach when dealing customers and emergencies situations Circumstances The post holder will be required to work the following shift patterns on a rota basis: Monday-Friday  09.00 - 17.00  S Ability to strictly adhere to a changeable daily rota Ability to change working patterns/ shifts at short notice if required Must follow the dress code of the Customer Service Centre and wear supplied clothing where required