School receptionist job

[Waitingforcoolbreeze]

I started a new job as a receptionist in a secondary school. I have never worked in any other customer service roles and I am not given any training in the new job. Its been only two days and I am already exhausted with calls. Can anyone give me a general idea of question and answers I am getting from parents and other people starting from absence informing calls to complain calls. Is it really a hard job?

I'm glad to hear it mostly got easier for you. Thanks for taking the time to reply x

It's funny, to people who have never worked in this type of role they think it is easy. Working in a school office is incredibly challenging, you have to have a very thick skin and multi task like your life depends on it! I love it, but it's not an easy job and you don't get paid anywhere bear enough what you should.

I covered reception, you need a thick skin. I used to write everything down. There were several occasions when parents just totally lied about things so it was good to have things written down.
the worst thing is members of staff who never return calls and it’s you that gets the grief for it.

Can I just say…as a student welfare (medical) bod in a school…please let your pastoral teams sort out any missing lunch issues...you won’t necessarily know about food allergies and intolerances so as lovely as idea as keeping a stash of cereal bars is…please don’t…you don’t need to add an anaphylactic shock episode to your stressors!

On a more positive note…it is bloody hard & emotionally exhausting. It will take you and entire school year to properly find your feet, but you will have learnt loads in the last couple of months and it will only get easier!

Totally agree with some staff not returning the calls. It is a real head ache. And yea, pay is very low considering the hardwork and multi task.

Hey. How are you finding it now?

Hey its a lot easier now. As I said earlier there are good days and not so good days😀 But I know most of the procedures now. I realised one thing- if you are good to people, most will be good to you. But there will be exceptions always. Don't take anything personally even if some are rude to you is the mantra I am still learning😎