to expect a receptionist to at least pretend to be busy?

[emanno]

I hire a room and receptionist. Sometimes she is busy and other times when I come out of my room with a client she is sitting reading the paper/doing a puzzle book etc. AIBU to expect her to at least pretend to be busy when she hears my (or someone else's) door open - upstairs so has at least 20-30 seconds 'warning' of someone coming downstairs?

Find her work to do, no receptionist should be sitting reading or doing any kind of puzzles. If you cannot keep her busy then find someone who you can pay less to sit there and do nothing.

You need to find her something else to do.

Not unreasonable at all.. if you are paying her by the hour, then she should be working, not dossing..

It doesnt set a good professional example if clients see her reading heat magazine or doing a wordsearch, it gives the impression that you are not a successful business.

Is she your personal receptionist or part of a communal building?

Do you mind that she is actually not busy, or is it that you'd like her to look busy when a client is in the office?

I'd think it would be difficult to increase her workload if it is just you providing her work.

YANBU she should be helping to create a professional environment and her doing puzzlebooks certainly doesn't. Is there no work you could find her to do.

I don't employ her I just rent the room (sounds dodgy but nothing seedy!) so not really able to 'give' her work as such other than keep my diary etc

Not really much you can do then I suppose. But your clients will realise she is just a receptionist for the building, and not a representative of your company itself though if it is part of a communal building.

Sort of a virtual office and use of facilities, building comes with a receptionist sort of thing?

talk to her.

"Would you mind, when you hear my door, just pretending to be busy, it gives a good image of what I'm doing here for my client."

she'll no doubt think you're bonkers, but I'm sure she'll humour you.

Pretending to be busy when you're not can be quite hard... Have memories of school work experience exchange programme where I spent a week in France working at a very crumbly old department store with virtually no customers. We had to zhuzh the crimplene skirts and endlessly fold jumpers all day ((shudders)). Was the longest week of my life.

I think YAB a bit U and a bit petty. What do you want her to do? Have fake business telephone conversations? Polish the desk? If she's doing everything required of her, still has dead time to fill and you can't give her any extra work, she may as well occupy herself. It's not as if she were doing something annoying like painting her nails or yakking to her friends on the phone.

Actually, image is very important in an organisation (even a one man band making use of facilities for the day!) It matters.

I agree, first impressions and image is important, but if she is on a low wage, and is merely paid to answer the phone and let people into the building then I dont see what you can do.

The only way to go about it is to speak to her bosses, and make a suggestion, but it may well fall on deaf ears.

If all the other office renters were to be in agreement and present a polite request to her employer that may make a difference.

Agree it gives a poor impression if she is doing puzzles or reading, but if you or her employers want her to look busy it will be easier if you actually give her something to do so that she in fact is busy rather than wanting her to pretend IYSWIM. Is awful having nothing to do at work.

She isnt going to want to do work that is not part of her paid duties though.. which will be the case.

I have been a receptionist and been really really bored. Its one of those jobs where there is a lot of "dead time". However, I would never ever read a magazine in front of clients! I used to have one of those desks with a high front so I could hide my book underneath! I always hid it if anyone came through reception though.

I think I would do what Hectate says.

I have been a receptionist in a really quiet place with nothing to do most of the time, and can honestly say it was pretty much the worst job I have ever had. I had to pretend to be busy - or worse still, was given projects that were utterly pointless in order to fill the time. I used to keep a book in the stationery cupboard and hide in there. If you would like her to look busy, explain to her why and I'm sure she will do it. If it were me I would far rather have a nice chat about it and be able to "act" for that space of time, than be told off for something which really isn't my fault (i.e. being unoccupied).

Thanks all - know it is difficult to 'pretend' to work! And hecate - doing the bonkers thing comes easily to me so that bit should be ok!!

Get her to join MN then she can be on the PC when ever someone is about, and when she is meant to be working and all the time

I agree with RunAwayWife - if your computer screen faces awy from people then MNing looks a lot like work.

Get her a boring looking grey Lever Arch file to hide her Heat mag in when she hears you coming!