Office Receptionist Daily Checklist

A good receptionist makes an office feel organised before a visitor has said a word. They know who is expected, where the meeting is, who signed for the parcel and what to do when the fire alarm goes off. Most of that is routine, and routine is easiest to keep with a checklist, especially when cover staff step in.

Opening

• Unlock and turn on lights, screens and the phone system
• Check voicemail and the general inbox, and route messages
• Review today's visitors, meetings and room bookings
• Prepare visitor badges and sign-in for expected guests
• Check the reception area is clean and tidy
• Check printer, paper and supplies

Visitors

• Greet every visitor promptly, even if you are on the phone
• Sign visitors in and give out badges
• Notify the host and offer a seat and a drink
• Brief visitors on emergency exits if they are staying in the building
• Sign visitors out and collect badges

Visitor logs matter in an emergency: the fire marshal needs to know who is in the building. They also contain personal data, so keep them where only authorised people can see them, and follow your privacy policy on how long you keep them.

Phones and Messages

• Answer within a few rings with a consistent greeting
• Take complete messages: name, organisation, number, reason, best time to call
• Route urgent calls to the right person or deputy
• Keep an up-to-date staff directory and know who is out

Deliveries

• Sign for deliveries and log them
• Notify the recipient promptly
• Store valuable or confidential deliveries securely
• Hand outgoing post and couriers to the right collection

Meeting Rooms

• Check rooms are set before meetings: chairs, screen, cables, whiteboard
• Reset rooms after meetings
• Arrange catering if booked
• Report broken equipment

Safety and Security

• Know the fire evacuation procedure and assembly point
• Keep the visitor list ready to hand to the fire marshal
• Know who the first aiders are
• Do not let unknown people through secure doors without checking
• Know how to handle suspicious packages according to your policy

OSHA's guidance on emergency action plans explains why every workplace should have a clear plan for evacuations and who does what. Reception usually plays a central role. See how to create an emergency action plan for a small business.

End of Day

• Sign out remaining visitors and check badges are returned
• Forward phones to voicemail or out-of-hours service
• Tidy reception and lock away the visitor log
• Check tomorrow's visitors and bookings
• Leave a handover note if someone else is covering tomorrow

Cover Staff

Receptionists take holidays and sick days, and cover staff often do not know the routine. A written checklist means the front door runs the same no matter who is on it. See why your team keeps forgetting the same tasks.

How MyTeamTasks Helps

In MyTeamTasks, the reception routine becomes a daily checklist anyone covering the desk can follow. Deliveries and messages can be logged as text tasks, room resets as checkbox tasks, and the office manager can see what was done each day without standing at the front desk.