Top 27 Receptionist Interview Questions & Example Answers

If you’re looking to start a new career as a Receptionist and want to ace your upcoming interview, you came to the right place.

To help prepare you for the interview and to leave a great, lasting impression on your potential employer, we’ve collected some of the most common questions you might encounter when applying for Receptionist jobs.

Below you'll find Receptionist interview questions and answers that you can also download as PDF or DOC.

Popular Interview Questions for Receptionist

Read the general interview questions below to get a better idea of what to expect in your interview:

Types of Receptionist Interview Questions

• General interview questions for a Receptionist: The questions will show you how to prepare for the skills and experience portion of the interview.
• Receptionist interview questions about skills and experience: These types of questions aim to show you how to answer queries related to skills and experience.
• Behavioral and situational Receptionist interview questions: These questions are designed for you to demonstrate your quick thinking and ability to ensure exceptional customer service in all scenarios.

15 More Receptionist Job Interview Questions

• How would your previous employers describe you?
• Have you ever worked in a Hotel before in any role?
• Do you keep up with trends in the hospitality industry?
• Do you like working with customers?
• What are your weaknesses that you're working to improve?
• Have you ever used technology to speed up or improve administrative tasks?
• Are you comfortable with using spreadsheets to keep track of data?
• How fast can you type?
• How would you calm down a confrontational client?
• Have you ever had to plan a business trip and what did you do?
• What would you do if a customer walked in while you were on the phone?
• How would you stay positive on days you have to work long hours?
• How would you make an important client feel welcomed?
• How would you protect clients' privacy?
• Do you see yourself working as a Receptionist in 5 years?

How To Prepare for Receptionist Interview Questions as an Applicant?

Before going to a Receptionist job interview, you might want to consider the following steps to ensure you are adequately prepared for this stage of the application process.

1. Research the company

Researching the company is the best way to understand their values and what they might expect within the role.

Considering that a Receptionist’s job description can greatly vary based on the type of employer, researching the organization and what they do can give an individual trying to become a Receptionist valuable insights on what is expected.

In fact, as much as 99% of applicants research the company’s website before going to the interview to learn as much about their potential employer as they can.

2. Practice your answers to possible interview questions

Review our list of common questions for Receptionist interview and prepare answers.

This way, you will come to your interview prepared and will limit the number of surprises you can encounter.

3. Dress appropriately

Receptionists must dress professionally in their role as they welcome guests and visitors. Showing up to your job interview appropriately dressed means that you are committed to the role and take your tasks seriously.

Choose a professional attire that is suitable for the company’s dress code. A neat and polished appearance demonstrates your professionalism and respect for the interview process.

What a Hotel Receptionist’s Workday Looks Like

Receptionists work across various industries and establishments.

They can work in legal offices, healthcare settings and financial institutions, as well as large hotels and hotel chains.

See what a typical day of a Hotel Receptionist looks like in the video below. You can also learn some valuable Receptionist interview tips by following the video.

How To Hire the Best Receptionist for Your Organization?

As an employer looking to find the best Receptionist for your organization and ask the right Receptionist job questions, you can look at the following steps to ensure you are attracting the top talent:

• Write a clear Receptionist job description
• Compare the applicants’ resumes against what you’re looking for
• Observe the candidate’s communication and professionalism, skills necessary for a Receptionist
• Analyze the candidate’s technical skills, such as their ability to multitask or communicate effectively
• Evaluate the candidate’s fit within your organization
• Download our Receptionist interview questions and answers PDF

Written by Stefan Petrov

Editor and SEO Content Writer

With over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor, Stefan has worked in the automotive, IT, health and hospitality industries. Familiar with Google Search Console and other SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, Stefan uses his experience to create content that's visually appealing to the user but also ranks in the SERPs.

Reviewed by Stefan Stojanovic

Director of Recruitment, Talent Acquisition

Stefan has 8+ years of professional recruitment experience and over 6 years of experience in business development. Through his education and career development, he has mastered altruistic leadership skills. Being a talent acquisition specialist, he was the perfect person to review this article and give it his stamp of approval.