Part of hiring people for your business is understanding their roles and responsibilities. When everyone does their part, your company will work like a well-oiled machine, and you'll have less to manage on a day-to-day basis yourself. 

Of all the roles that could help your company, a receptionist is perhaps among the most important. Receptionists operate on the front lines of communications day in and day out, so you'll want to make sure that you have people who are capable of getting the job done correctly. 

But first, let's clarify what a receptionist is and the options for sourcing this critical role.

What is a receptionist?

A receptionist is your business's first point of contact — the professional who manages incoming communications, greets visitors, and coordinates essential administrative functions. Modern receptionists serve as communication hubs, handling phone calls, emails, scheduling, and visitor management while ensuring smooth daily operations. 

The role has evolved significantly from traditional switchboard operators to dynamic professionals who leverage technology to manage multiple channels simultaneously, from voice calls to digital messaging, while maintaining the personal touch that customers expect.

Types of receptionists

Before you decide on your receptionist solution, understanding the available options helps you match capabilities to your specific business needs.

In-house receptionists

In-house receptionists provide a physical presence in your office, greeting visitors face-to-face and handling on-site tasks such as mail management and office organization. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for receptionists is $37,230, but when factoring in benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead, the total annual cost ranges from $47,000 to $73,000. This investment makes sense for businesses that require a consistent physical presence and hands-on office management.

Virtual receptionists

Virtual receptionists work remotely, handling phone calls, scheduling, and digital communications without a physical office presence. They provide professional human interaction across all communication channels, often working extended hours beyond traditional office schedules. This option offers flexibility and cost savings while maintaining the personal touch and judgment that human agents provide for nuanced customer interactions.

AI receptionists

AI receptionists use conversational technology to handle high-volume communications with 24/7 availability and unlimited parallel call capacity. They excel at routine tasks like appointment scheduling, basic information requests, and consistent protocol execution. AI solutions offer scalability and cost efficiency while maintaining immediate response times that meet customer expectations for instant connection.

Why you need a receptionist

Professional receptionist services address critical business challenges that directly impact revenue and operational efficiency.

Reclaim time lost to administrative tasks

Research from Salesforce's 2024 Small Business Productivity survey shows business owners lose approximately 96 minutes daily — that's 8 hours weekly — to administrative tasks including message management and scheduling. A receptionist handles these routine communications, freeing your team to focus on revenue-generating activities rather than constant interruption management.

Never miss revenue opportunities

Your receptionist ensures no call goes unanswered, preventing lost opportunities from prospects who won't leave voicemails or call back. Every missed call represents potential revenue walking to competitors who answer their phones. Professional call coverage captures these opportunities regardless of when customers reach out.

Create professional first impressions

Receptionists establish credibility and trust from the initial contact, setting the tone for all subsequent customer interactions. Whether greeting visitors in person or managing phone communications, professional receptionist coverage ensures consistent, polished representation of your brand.

Meet customer expectations for human connection

According to Gartner research, 64% of customers would prefer that companies didn't use AI for customer service. Whether through live virtual receptionists or AI receptionists with human escalation capabilities, meeting these expectations requires dedicated receptionist coverage that provides appropriate human connection when customers need it.

Scale without proportional cost increases

Receptionist services — whether in-house, virtual, or AI-powered — allow your business to handle growing communication volumes without hiring additional full-time staff proportional to call increases. This scalability maintains service quality while controlling operational costs as your business expands.

The 10 most important receptionist duties

Understanding why you need a receptionist and the types available sets the foundation. Now let's examine the specific responsibilities that deliver these benefits. 

Whether you choose in-house, virtual, or AI receptionist services, these duties represent the essential tasks that create professional first impressions, reclaim your time, and prevent missed opportunities.

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1. Answering and Routing Phone Calls

The primary responsibility of most receptionists is to manage incoming phone calls and route them to the appropriate team members. This front-line communication management ensures customers reach the right person quickly while protecting your team from constant interruptions. 

Effective call handling prevents missed opportunities, maintains professional communication standards, and creates a positive first impression that establishes credibility with prospects and clients.

Whether you choose an AI Receptionist for efficient call handling or a Virtual Receptionist for a human-first approach, the right solution fits seamlessly into your existing phone setup.

2. Greeting Visitors and Clients (Physically)

If you hire someone in-house, they'll also be responsible for creating a good first impression in person by greeting visitors, clients, customers, vendors, and others. Ensuring people feel welcome in your business and receive the help they need is your primary goal.

For businesses without physical locations or those seeking to supplement in-person coverage, virtual receptionists can extend customer service availability beyond traditional office hours.

3. Scheduling and Schedule Management

Receptionists manage calendars, schedule appointments, coordinate meetings, and handle follow-up communications. This scheduling management prevents double-bookings, ensures adequate preparation time between commitments, and maintains organized calendars across your team.

Both AI and live virtual receptionists handle scheduling efficiently — AI receptionists offer instant availability checks and 24/7 booking capabilities, while live receptionists provide personalized judgment for complex scheduling involving multiple parties or sensitive timing considerations.

4. Maintaining the Physical and/or Virtual Office

Logistics and organization start with the office itself. Having a well-organized space, whether virtual or physical, can make all the difference. A receptionist can ensure your office is always in order, files are properly stored, and everything runs smoothly. They can handle all kinds of day-to-day tasks, from appointment scheduling to message management.

Even if you have a remote receptionist, they can do a lot to manage and organize your "office," as it were. They can help by keeping client files in order, tracking communications, and ensuring information flows to the right people.

5. Mailing, Shipping, and Logistics

Do you have time to stop at the FedEx store to ship some items or go to the Post Office to pick up items that were too big for your mailbox? What about flyers, promotional mailers, bills, reminders, and so forth? This is all a bunch of detail work that doesn't require your attention, and it shouldn't be your responsibility.

Instead of spending your valuable time dealing with the mail, why not let your receptionist handle it? Everything will get done promptly, and you won't have to spend your own time doing it. For businesses with remote operations, virtual receptionists can help coordinate shipping schedules and track deliveries through your existing systems.

6. Take and Deliver Messages

Receptionists engage with callers in real time, provide immediate assistance, and capture detailed messages when a direct transfer isn't possible. This real-time interaction ensures callers receive prompt attention rather than reaching voicemail or automated systems.

After-hours receptionists extend this capability beyond traditional business hours, taking calls and ensuring messages reach you promptly. 

Live virtual receptionists bring human discretion to message prioritization, while AI receptionists follow your customized protocols to route messages according to your business rules.

7. Bookkeeping and/or Accounting Duties

Although they might not be a full-on CPA, your receptionist can often handle basic bookkeeping and finance tasks, such as writing or depositing checks, paying bills, receiving payments from vendors, and so forth.

You can have them balance the petty cash in the office, handle travel expenses, set up events or travel arrangements, and more. Of course, bear in mind that at some point, you will need to enlist the assistance of a dedicated financial professional.

For businesses that need help with routine financial tasks, receptionists can extend their administrative support to include payment-related activities. Both AI receptionists and live virtual receptionists can assist with payment collection during calls. Learn more about payment collection services.

8. Clerical Tasks

Copies? Faxes? Collating presentations? Making sure that the email from your client gets filed in their project folder? These are all little tasks that add up to a lot more free time for you when you've got someone else on the job.

Research published in Information Processing & Management found that individuals may be interrupted every 11 minutes by phone notifications or calls, and returning to primary tasks after interruptions takes at least 25 minutes. Leave it to your receptionist and consider it done.

9. Organization and Preparation

Receptionists manage a variety of administrative tasks essential to business operations. They handle call answering, appointment scheduling, and message management, while also preparing for events, meetings, and training sessions.

Their skills and abilities will extend to all areas of your business: clerical, secretarial, financial, office-related, and customer/client/vendor issues. Whether you need help preparing for a client meeting or organizing post-event follow-ups, having dedicated receptionist support ensures these details don't fall through the cracks.

10. Manage Digital Communications

Modern receptionists handle both traditional phone communications and digital channels, including SMS, email, and online messaging. They ensure consistent, timely responses across all platforms where customers might reach your business.

AI receptionists handle high volumes of routine digital communications with speed and consistency, while live virtual receptionists bring human understanding to nuanced conversations requiring empathy or complex problem-solving. The most effective approach often combines both capabilities.

Get it all handled with Smith.ai

Professional receptionists create critical first impressions and prevent missed opportunities. Smith.ai offers two complementary receptionist options: the AI Receptionist for 24/7 call answering with unlimited parallel call handling, and the Virtual Receptionist service with North America-based agents for personalized client service. 

Both integrate with 7,000+ platforms and handle after-hours answering, scheduling, lead intake, and payment collection.

If you want to learn how receptionist services can support your business, schedule a consultation.