What best describes a receptionist in a busy pet rescue shelter?
A friendly face, a kind voice, a calm, reassuring first point of contact – all of those and more. What skills are needed – the ability to multitask, be resourceful and organised, be able to work through problems.
Members of the public reaching out to rescue organisations can be desperate for someone to solve, what to them seems insurmountable. In these situations, a receptionist needs to ‘think on their feet’. A kind word and the time to listen can help ease even the most stressful situations, so a calm response is the ‘best tool in the box’.
This is not to say being ‘at the sharp end’ is without its challenges. Pet care and responsibility is a very emotive subject which can bring out the best or worst in a person. Sadly, a shelter cannot always offer an immediate solution, if any, to every problem, which can be extremely hard to explain. A receptionist therefore needs a good knowledge of any support systems available and be able to reassure anyone experiencing difficulties there are choices.
So, what is a receptionist typically asked? There is a large range of enquiries, typically starting with ‘I need some advice’. This often leads into asking to surrender a pet, but can be anything from behavioural advice to an opinion about which type of pet to adopt and questions about shelter animals. There are, of course, in-house experts, but reception can give initial guidelines.
Another important role for reception is accepting donations. Whatever is gifted, be it bedding/food for the pets, something to sell in our charity shop or monetary, acknowledgement is key. The ability to show and express gratitude is invaluable, which brings us back to a kind word and time to listen, as the gift is often due to a bereavement and those giving may need to talk.
As well as enquiries regarding rescue and rehoming, reception organises the booking of holiday and creche days for privately owned cats/dogs. This process can sometimes be stressful for the client, so the receptionist is again someone to ‘lean on’. By demonstrating a thorough understanding of what we can offer, showing empathy and patience will reassure the pet’s owner the shelter can provide safe, comfortable care/accommodation. The pet’s arrival can also require words of comfort to help lessen any worry.
So, to summarise – the person behind the ‘front desk’ must be a ‘rock’, with good ‘listening ears’, who can think quick and stay ‘cool’. It comes with practice!
Finally, the bonus to being a receptionist is, without a doubt, the pleasure of seeing and hopefully meeting all creatures great and small, from a hamster to a St Bernard.
by Marie Booth, Receptionist at Cheltenham Animal Shelter for 25 years!
