The Unreceptive Receptionist

Outline
Thesis: We used-1 to have a receptionist who was eager to please, neat and very considerate of others. In other words, she was a professional receptionist. Some where along the way, she has changed and is not very receptive at all. -3 You have written a short introduction. The thesis should be just one sentence that states the subject of the essay and the author’s attitude toward the subject.
I. She is argumentative.
A. She argues with the staff.
B. She argues with clients.
II. She is sloppy.
A. Her clothing is inappropriate.
B. She chews gum on a regular basis.
III. She is self-centered.
A. She uses company time to talk on the phone regarding personal business.
B. She tries to engage other staff members in her personal problems.

The Unreceptive Receptionist There is a co-worker in the law firm where I work, who is and has been, developing some very disappointing work habits. Her position is the first impression to the outside world of our company. She is the person who greets the clients when they walk through the front door and offers them a beverage or the use of the lavatory. She is the first person to answer the telephone and be sure that the correct party receives the call in a timely and professional manner. She is the person responsible for the smooth operation and maintenance of all of the office machinery, assuring of an efficient and stress-free work environment. We used to have a receptionist who was eager to please, neat, and very considerate of others. In other words, she was a professional receptionist. Some where along the way, she has changed and is not very receptive at all. The first change that we have experienced from our receptionist is that she has become argumentative. Whenever another staff member asks her for her assistance with anything that she is responsible for, she goes out of her way to argue why she can’t help them. If there is a problem with the copy machine, she will argue that the machine is a piece of junk, and she was not the one who had anything to do with purchasing it. If someone needs stamps when she leaves to drop off our mail, she argues that the little postal outlet, where she has to go, probably won’t have enough stamps, or the correct type of stamps that we need. When one of the office staff expresses concern about the air temperature of the office, she argues that the building is old, and it doesn’t matter what service company she calls, they won’t be able to fix it anyway. The next change is her appearance. As she is the first person anyone sees when entering our law firm, it would seem that she would be concerned about her appearance. Sometimes she will wear low-cut tank tops and flip flops with dress pants. Apparently, she feels the dress pants make up for the unprofessionalism of the low-cut tank tops and flip flops. She is constantly chewing gum and many times, one can hear her loudly and clearly. When she walks around the office, it sounds like a flip flop-wearing cow, chewing her cud. It is very distracting. She has started to take her lunch hour and then return to the office and eat her lunch at her desk. How in the world is a professional receptionist supposed to answer the telephone with a mouthful of Taco Bell? Finally, she is always on the telephone taking care of personal matters. At most offices where I have worked, it is customary to try to answer the telephone in one to two rings, if possible. The majority of the time, it takes her four to five rings because she has to place her personal call “on hold.” There have even been times recently when the call goes unanswered completely because the caller has hung up before she gets to answer it. She brings all of her personal problems to work and tries to share them with anyone in the office who will listen. Recently, she was in one of the conference rooms shouting at the person on the other end of the telephone, seemingly indifferent as to whether anyone in the office could hear her or not. The bottom line is that she has been with the firm for over thirteen years, and has just become increasingly complacent in her place with the company. She did not always have these negative qualities. She used to be excellent at her job. She has developed these bad habits over time, and no one in a supervisory capacity has taken any steps to address these problems with her. I almost believe that she may not even be aware of them at this point. This unresolved, ongoing problem is not only an issue for our office, but it is a disservice to her as well. A supervisor should have a talk with her and address all of these issues. If she is not receptive to the discussion, then I would be receptive to a new receptionist.