Take bookings and messages at the front desk

You are a learner on placement at the front desk.

Simulated workplaceEntry missionCAQA Foundations Community Hub

What is going on

It is Wednesday afternoon and you are on the front desk with Mei Lin Chen. Two people come in to book rooms: Bec Andrews from the Frankston Playgroup Network wants learning room 2 on Wednesday 16 September from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm for 18 people with an urn and mats, and Fatima Noor from the Multicultural Women's Sewing Circle wants the hall on Saturday 19 September from 10:00 am for 14 people with tables and power boards. While Mei Lin is helping a visitor with printing, the phone rings twice: one caller wants to leave a message for Amrit Gill and another asks what time the op shop opens. A visitor also needs to sign the visitor book to see Wayne.

Deb Halloran, Front Desk Coordinator
Subject: Front desk shift: bookings and phone messages

You are on the front desk with Mei Lin on Wednesday afternoon. Two groups want to book rooms and there will be phone calls to answer while Mei Lin is helping people with printing. Please read the Front Desk and Room Booking Procedure first. Check the Room and Program Bookings system before you say a room is free, write the booking with the status Requested, and take any messages on the message pad. The playgroup booking needs the child safety check, so leave that one for me to confirm.

Your brief

Greet everyone politely, check the Room and Program Bookings system before you agree to a booking, record both bookings correctly with the status Requested, answer the phone and take a clear message, and make sure the visitor signs in, following the Front Desk and Room Booking Procedure.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

Read the Greeting visitors, Answering the phone and Taking a room booking sections of the Front Desk and Room Booking Procedure and tell Mei Lin the five things you must record for a booking.
Check the Room and Program Bookings system for learning room 2 on 16 September and the hall on 19 September and say whether each room is free at the time asked for.
Create the two bookings in the Room and Program Bookings system with the group, contact, room, date, start time, number of people and equipment, and set the status to Requested.
Look at the price list and tell each person the hire fee and that the room must be left clean, then tell Deb the playgroup booking needs the child safety check.
Answer the phone using the hub greeting, take the message for Amrit Gill on the message pad with the date, time, name, number and message, and put it in the pigeonhole.
Answer the second caller's question about op shop opening hours by reading the hours from the noticeboard, and repeat the answer clearly.
Ask the visitor for Wayne to sign the visitor book with their name, the time and who they are seeing, and check the clock to write the time in the right format.

My notes: what did I enjoy, and what surprised me?

What someone in this role would produce

Two bookings created in the Room and Program Bookings system with status Requested
Written phone message for Amrit Gill
Visitor book entry
Short note to Deb about the playgroup child safety check

Printing this is a record of what you explored. It is not a certificate or a qualification.