Check out this old Receptionist On The Verge post I found. Past Prentice is a funny lady! Since life has thrown a wrench in my motivation to write with all its bs (I may or may not write of this later), I just cleaned this up and added pics. Enjoy:

Let’s get re-Tardis and do a little time warp…and…Receptionist On The Verge!

This week I thought of more chapters to add to my list of things to know about being a receptionist. Just in case my first lesson and my advanced advice didn’t suffice, here are a few more super duper advanced “Oh my God! You are an office Goddess!” tips to really give you and edge in the amazing world of receptionist-ing:

Pretending Your Boss Isn’t a Dumb Ass

OMG WHY YOU SO DUMB?!?!

Let’s be real. (I promise I won’t tell on ya) Your boss is an idiot. You have no clue how he/she got ahead of the game and became a boss of anything, let alone a business, and it is your job to do damage control every day. I mean, that’s why before Receptionist on the Verge and Reception Perception my blog was called Pam Beasly Moment of The Day. Take a deep breath and know that when your boss screws-up and looks like an ass, it is an opportunity to look saintly by comparison. Turn those lemons into lemonade!

Humoring

As a receptionist, you have to pretend to endorse stupid ideas, policies and tasks, even if they are really, really dumb. I hate this piece of advice I’m about to give, but it’s the best I have: Don’t let it bother you. Now, I know you can’t control if something cheeses you off. That’s why I get pissed when people say this to me when I’m handed something ridiculous. You can’t control your emotions, but don’t get your panties in a twist over these things. Just roll your eyes, do the job, and if it’s particularly dumb, rant about it later.

Dealing With Absolute Chaos & Absolute Silence

Perhaps I should keep the Elements of Harmony with me to prevent chaos…

From my experience, I have found that being a receptionist has two settings: Absolute Chaos or Absolute Silence. I’m either frantically throwing a lot of stuff together at once while dealing with the phone and visitors, or I’m all alone for hours and hours. Why there is rarely an in between or gray area? Who knows? That’s the nature of the beast, so be prepared to either need a Xanax to get through your sudden, million-point checklist or not go mad while in solitary confinement.

Dealing With Data Entry

I know I’ve explained, whined and complained about how much I hate data entry in the past, but unfortunately, it still happens. Bribe yourself with treats to get through it, or have a game going behind it and take way too many breaks.  If you like or can easily tolerate data entry, God bless you, and maybe we can work something out next time I have to type a bazillion names  into a spreadsheet. Would high-fives, beer and pizza be enough?

Drawing The Line

Even though the next nugget of knowledge below this will void-out this one, it still needs to be said and done. Try to draw the line if things get out of hand. Even receptionists deserve the same basic respect and treatment of other employees. An hourly wage is not an all-you-can-eat buffet of tasks and responsibilities, and even though fighting inner-office bullies is like one knight against an army, it must be done…FOR HONOR!

Nobody Cares

It’s sad but true. It does not matter how good a job you do, how assertive you are or how you feel. You can express an opinion or ask for assistance or bring-up a problem or have a great idea, and more likely than not, nothing will come of it. Don’t take it personally. It’s not you. It’s them.