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:
The Best Questions for a Receptionist Interview
1. General Receptionist Interview Questions
Example answer: “I am passionate about starting my career as a Receptionist and seeing how much I can progress.
I believe that my current skill set, experience and dedication will allow me to become a contributing member of your organization.”
Example answer: “My greatest strengths as a Receptionist lie in my strong communication skills and ability to perform well under pressure.
Additionally, I have keen attention to detail, which allows me to edit written forms and improve processes within my organization, ensuring that documents that leave the office aren’t riddled with errors.”
Example answer: “The Receptionist is usually the first person anyone sees when they walk into an office or establishment, so it is part of the Receptionist’s job to ensure that guests have a positive first impression.
As a Receptionist, I try to be as friendly and welcoming as possible to ensure that every individual who steps into the office feels welcome.”
2. Skills and Experience Receptionist Questions
Example answer: “Throughout my experience as a Receptionist, I’ve developed multiple skills that I believe will help me thrive in this role.
I have learned time management and prioritization that help me get through the dynamic nature of the job. I’ve also learned how to effectively communicate in person and through written correspondence.
Example answer: “I use both my computer and pen and paper to keep track of information.
I also use scheduling software that helps me manage my boss’ appointments and then write in my notebook the items that are of higher priority.
By doing these, I can efficiently allocate my time to tasks that require prompt attention while also ensuring that all other tasks are completed.”
Example answer: “I prioritize tasks based on urgency.
With my current employer, the emphasis is placed on customer inquiries and calls. So, I first try to address any questions that customers or potential customers might have to ensure a high degree of customer experience.
From there, I focus on keeping track of schedules and appointments to ensure that there are no conflicts or errors.”
Example answer: “I come to the office as early as 7 a.m. and set everything up for the day. This includes making sure that the reception area is tidy and that I have everything that I might need for the day.
I then check the daily schedule for meetings and appointments and make sure to highlight the ones that are happening earlier or those that require advanced preparation.
From there, I mostly greet visitors and answer general inquiries, update the schedule as needed, and complete ad hoc tasks that often arise.”
Example answer: “I would say that my computer skills are more than adequate for any tasks I might encounter in this role.
For starters, I hold a MOS Certificate which means that I am very proficient with Office applications. I am also willing to learn how to use additional software, depending on what the role requires.”
3. Situational Receptionist Interview Questions
Example answer: “I make sure to act warmly and professionally in all situations.
I keep a clean and tidy reception area and address each visitor as they arrive with a smile. By inquiring about their needs, I can promptly either address their questions or direct them further based on their needs.”
Example answer: “Yes. There was a situation in which an angry customer called to express their frustrations about a scheduling error.
Although the call wasn’t very pleasant, I assured the customer that they were heard and that their concerns were noted.
I went through the schedule to try and find an alternative that would suit both my employer and the customer. Fortunately, we managed to find a date that worked for both parties.
In the end, the customer apologized and thanked me for a swift reaction.”
Example answer: “An example of a stressful workday was when we had multiple back-to-back client meetings scheduled, a major system outage and an unexpected influx of visitors due to a conference being held nearby.
I prioritized greeting and welcoming visitors while answering phones once I directed them. I also set up a system to log calls and callbacks to ensure no messages were missed.
While I didn’t eat or take breaks that day, we managed to pull through without having any dissatisfied visitors or customers.”
Example answer: “Once, while I was preparing a large set of documents to be sent to a client, I noticed that the address didn’t match.
I double-checked the customer information and found that the address was misspelled. Catching this mistake prevented the documents from being sent to the wrong address, which could have caused significant delay and confusion for the client and our company.”
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
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.