Everyone gets the welcome they deserve
As we’ve adapted to new ways of working, many staff have covered different roles to support our service delivery, and make sure we remain best placed to provide the high quality care and support we’re known for.
Felicity Parsons, one of our Community Fundraisers, recently trained on reception alongside Senior Receptionist, Tina Knebel (pictured). Here she shares what she learnt from the experience:
“I recently had the pleasure of shadowing reception. This is my second chance to do this but this time I was able to answer calls! The thought of answering a call, and wondering if I would know where to correctly direct people was quite daunting at first, but luckily, I managed to get it right each time.
Tina was a fantastic teacher and gave me a great introduction to reception. I think I was lucky that it was quiet (although to me the phone never seemed to stop ringing!). It was interesting trying to learn within the constraints of social distancing too. We had to remain 6 feet apart from each other and ask that anyone coming over was also 6 feet away from us.
Being on reception made me really stop and appreciate how much our receptionists have to constantly coordinate. The phone could be ringing nonstop whilst deliveries or visitors arrive, and maybe even a new patient and their family.
Tina had a lot to juggle in one go but she handled it all like it was nothing. With such a reassuring voice and efficient manner, she gave everyone, in person or on the phone, the welcome they deserved.
One thing I didn’t really expect was how soon you learn visitors. Having completed a couple of shifts on screening before my reception shift, I’d started to recognise visitors and know the patients they were visiting. Tina knew everyone and it was heart warming to see their interactions with her.
Our reception team give so much more than just a welcome. They give visitors a feeling of peace and comfort seeing a familiar face and a friendly smile. It helps them know they’re in a home away from home.
I hope that once we’re all back to normal, I will get the opportunity to get back on reception. It was a powerful reminder of the impact that we have, and the reason I absolutely love doing my job.”
