A Long Rant. Reception for Dummies

Yes, I am a 29 year old receptionist. Children, this is what happens when you do not put much thought into your career as a child. You say that you want to be a "RockStar, a fireman and a vet". NOPE, gotta pick just one, and deal with it. Or at least go to college for just one thing and then get a somewhat respectable job at a bank that has nothing to do with it. I would have been better off getting a degree in Paranormal Phsychology- as long as it is a four year degree-or a two year degree and become a nurse.

Well, I went to college, but never finished. I guess that is what happens when you act like a grown-up but aren't and get pregnant by a guy who you think you are in love with. Even when I was in college, I didn't know what I wanted to be. I knew what I was interested in, and it fell in the Psychology, Science, Biology fields...HOWEVER, I did NOT want to become a nurse. So, I took a job as a receptionist again when my daughter was young. I was so darn good at it, that I was made an Administrative Assistant AND the receptionist at the same time. Woohoo! Yeah, I can multitask like that. HAHA. Little did I know, that because I still answered the phones, I would always be considered as just the receptionist and in the future, it would be easier to be employed as a receptionist than an Admin. Assistant.

10 years later (from first becoming a receptionist before my daughter was born) I am still a receptionist. The company that I work for now, though, has you do more administrative duties than most receptionists, but you still get looked at like a proverbial idiot who can only answer calls. And people say that I "only got my job because I am pretty" REALLY? THIS JOB? What are pretty people supposed to do if not work as receptionists? Scoop Icecream until they are old and wrinkeled and THEN get solid careers? Well, I am a receptionist- Which is fine, the pay is not bad (not great-hanging up the dream of making 6 figures soon) and I get great benefits. I have some down time (I usually am not bored, however, there is an hour or so during the day where I do like most receptionists and surf the web) and I have great bosses. My co-workers are extremely nice to me (probably out of pitty because I am obviously somewhat mentally challenged to be a receptionist) and I do not have deadlines, work that follows me home, or the constant fear of losing my job because I goofed up.

This is what gets to me: In order to go to the dentist, the doctor, the bathroom, lunch or to stay at home because you have the swine flu, you have to have a backup, and no one wants to do it. So you hold your bladder all day, take tons of vitamins and lose weight. The entire office thinks that I am their assistant. I do not mind helping anyone, and there is not a pecking order in who I help- JUST DO NOT BE DEMANDING, and I will order your supplies, order your cards, arrange your lunch meeting, schedule your appointments, call the vending machine company because the Coke Machine took your last three dollars (if it doesn't work twice, why try again???? Call me dumb, but I wouldn't) call the maintenance company because the A/C is out, the bathroom is filthy, the toilet is overflowing (I know it was you, because I saw you go in and come out alone, and no one else complained before you) sign for the Fedex, U.P.S, postal, postal Express, listen to you cry about your pets, complain about your bosses and salary, book you a conference room and just for the VP's....call and have someone cut down the tree that you need removed at your vacation home. ALL WHILE ANSWERING THE CONSTANT CALLS THAT COME THROUGH. You would think that calls come through and everything goes like this:

Me: Thank you for calling Blippidy Blank Blank, how may I direct your call?

Caller: Elvis Presley, please

Me:Sure, hold please

Elvis Presley: Hello.........................

and that would be the end of it, most of the time...................NOT!

The calls go more like this

Me:Thank you for calling Blippidy Blank Blank, how may I direct your call?

Caller: I have been trying to reach Elvis Presley for 10 years and keep getting his voicemail

Me: Have you left him a message?

Caller: No, I need to talk to him now. Can I just talk to his manager if he is not there?

Me: *thinking "well, you should leave him a voice message because he is always on the phone, so you won't ever get through" but instead I say...

Me: Sure, hold one second.

Then the game of Duck Duck Goose begins where I try to locate the manager, get the manager,who says the call does NOT go to them, then I call the person who the call is supposed to go to but they are not there..................... All of this while notarizing documents, being a gate keeper and buzzing people in the front doors, taking payments,handing out supplies to employees as they come to my desk, answering emails, and booking conference rooms, contacting other Managers to let them know (via I.M) that the person that they are interviewing is here, then letting the person that they are interviewing know that the Manager is on vacation and forgot about them (without letting them know that), all while trying to sound interested as people stop by to shoot the sh*t, hold my pee, and look for the number for ADT because the security settings on the doors wont let employee's in when they swipe their badges, etc, etc, etc. (Did I mention that when someone forgets their badge, I have to stop all of this and let them into wherever they work in the building and then do the same thing for them when they need to go to the restroom,etc?)

I stay pretty busy, so if you think that I am purposely not putting calls through because I just am sitting here filing my nails, you are sadly mistaken-even more so if you think that yelling at me, telling me that you are going to come down and "break legs" if your account issue isn't resolved, or that you are "fed up and will drive from Hawaii to N.C" (good luck) or that you "have family that lives 15 minutes away (I do too, wanna have a picnic?) to do damage" is going to get you your way. All that it is doing is pissing off the one receptionist in the world who actually will send an email to the person who you can not get a hold of, or try to help you get in touch with the right person instead of transferring you to an automated customer service line like most receptionist would. Talk to me with respect, make me feel bad for you or tell me a sob story, but DO NOT get demanding because I am busy, and not required to go the extra mile for you, but will if you act in a decent manner.

The end.