What is reception etiquette?

Reception refers to a way of social interaction in which an individual or unit acts as a host to entertain relevant people to achieve a certain purpose. In the process of receiving, entertaining, and seeing off guests, the receptionist must pay attention to certain etiquette standards, and each link must have certain requirements.

Reception, like visiting, can also play a role in enhancing contacts, improving work efficiency, exchanging feelings, and communicating information. It is also a method of social interaction often used by individuals and units.

Types of reception

According to different standards, there are different types of reception. Generally speaking, there are the following aspects:

(1) Classification based on the reception object

①Official reception. It is a reception carried out to complete official activities between superiors and subordinates and between parallel agencies.

②Business reception. It is a reception activity carried out for certain business purposes.

③Petition reception. It refers to the reception of petitioners by government departments.

④Consumption reception. It refers to reception during consumption activities.

⑤ Reception by friends. It refers to the reception between friends to enhance friendship and strengthen connections.

⑥Reception of foreign guests. It refers to the reception work in foreign affairs activities.

(2) Classification based on reception venues

①Indoor reception. It refers to the reception of various visitors by the staff of government agencies and groups in their own offices and reception rooms.

②Outdoor reception. It refers to the reception when visitors arrive, accompany them during their stay, and see them off.

Although the types of receptions are different, the etiquette and principles followed should be roughly the same.

Principles of Reception

When receiving visitors, whether an organization or an individual, they hope that the guests will come with pleasure and leave with satisfaction. To achieve this goal, the principles of equality, enthusiasm, courtesy, and friendliness must be followed during the reception process.

In social interaction activities, regardless of the size of the unit, the level of the organization, the distance of the friends, or the similarities and differences in status, everyone should be treated equally, with courtesy, and with warmth and friendliness. Only in this way can we win the respect and love of visitors and achieve the purpose of communicating information, exchanging feelings and making friends.

Preparation for reception

"Reciprocity" is an ancient traditional virtue. When there is a visit, there is also a reception. Pay attention to etiquette when visiting, and of course, also pay attention to etiquette when receiving guests. In terms of preparation for the reception, attention should be paid to the following aspects:

(1) Comprehensive consideration and thoughtful arrangements

①Time. As a receptionist, whether you are receiving guests on official business or receiving friends, you must remember the date and specific time of the visitor. Make all preparations before visitors arrive. If a visitor arrives unexpectedly without prior notice, the receptionist must stop immediately and treat the visitor warmly, no matter how busy he is at work.

②Place. The reception place is what we usually call the reception room. Before the guests arrive, the reception room should be carefully tidied up and some flowers should be placed according to the specific situation. Under normal circumstances, you should clean up first and prepare some cigarettes, fruits, drinks, tea sets, etc. appropriately. If it is a business or other official meeting, you should also prepare some stationery and possible related materials for easy use and inquiry. In short, the layout of the reception room should be based on the principles of cleanliness, beauty and convenience.

③Pick up the station. Before visitors arrive, you need to know what kind of transportation they are taking. If you are visiting with a car, just be prepared at the door of your home; if you are coming by car, train, plane, or ship, you should be prepared to be picked up at the station. When picking up the passengers, if the unit has a car, they should take the car to the station, pier or airport to wait for passengers. At the same time, a pick-up sign should be prepared with "Welcome the ××× delegation" or "Welcome Comrade ××x" or "×× Reception" written on it. "Where" and other words. When greeting guests, hold up the pick-up sign so that guests can recognize it. Doing these tasks properly can give guests a warm and thoughtful feeling, and avoid causing difficulties and trouble to guests due to unfamiliar environment and inconvenient transportation.

④Board and board. When arranging food and accommodation, you must first understand the living habits of the guests; secondly, you must do your best and avoid extravagance and waste.

⑤Specifications.

The reception specifications should be arranged according to the specific situation of the guests. They should not be too high or too low. At the same time, the main reception personnel should be arranged according to different specifications. These tasks must be done before the guests arrive, otherwise it will cause an embarrassing situation with no one to take care of them when the guests arrive.

⑥ Clothing and instrumentation. Beautiful appearance is the embodiment of beautiful soul, and beautiful appearance is respect for society and others. If a person's clothing does not meet the requirements of a certain occasion, it will cause misunderstandings. The receptionist must make appropriate preparations for his clothing and appearance, and should not be casual. Especially in summer, you should be careful not to wear vests, trousers, or slippers to receive guests. In ancient and modern times, people at home and abroad have directly linked whether the host's appearance is neat and tidy with whether he respects the guests.

⑦Speech. The welcome speech is the greeting language used when welcoming guests. Generally, no written preparation is required, but when you see the guests, you should say words such as "Welcome to your arrival," "Welcome to guide your work," and "Welcome to your presence." For some grand receptions, prepare some short written welcome speeches.

In addition, usually during important official receptions, some welcome slogans must be prepared to show respect for the visitors.

(2) Understand the guests and be aware of them

As a receptionist, you must have a detailed understanding of the visitor's situation in order to be aware of the situation and do a good job in reception. To understand the guests, you mainly need to find out the purpose of the visit, gender, number of people, job level, whether there are couples traveling together, etc.

Guests come for a purpose. By understanding the purpose of the guests, we can prepare for the meeting in a targeted manner; by understanding the number of guests, gender, and whether there are couples traveling together, it is easier to arrange transportation and Accommodation to prevent insufficient preparation, resulting in poor reception; understanding of the job level will facilitate the host to make corresponding specifications of the reception.

Specifications of reception

(1) Reciprocal reception. It refers to a reception in which the position, level and other identities of the accompanying persons are generally consistent with those of the guests. This is the most common in reception work. Generally speaking, depending on the level of the guest, the unit should also send comrades of what level to accompany them; In the family, whose friends are the hosts. Unit leaders or other people in the family can only pay a courtesy visit.

(2) High-standard reception. It refers to the reception where accompanying guests has a higher position than visiting guests. This type of reception arrangement is mainly based on the following considerations: first, the superior leadership agency sends staff to inspect the work situation and convey verbal instructions; second, the parallel agencies send staff to discuss important matters; third, the lower-level agencies have important matters. Ask for instructions on matters; fourth, well-known figures come to interview or advanced figures come to make reports. Generally speaking, the reason why high-level reception is required is that important matters and important people require the relevant person in charge to come forward directly.

(3) Low-standard reception. It refers to the reception where the accompanying guests have a lower position than the guests. This is also a common reception method. For example, if superior leaders come to investigate and inspect work, or if the purpose of the visit is to visit and study, low-standard reception can be handled. But in this kind of reception, special attention should be paid to enthusiasm and courtesy.

Welcoming etiquette

Welcoming guests is one of the important etiquettes in reception. It not only shows the host's enthusiasm, but also gives guests a pleasant feeling like spring breeze. Generally speaking, the etiquette specifications are as follows:

(1) Meeting

“Three steps to greet guests and seven steps to see them off”. This is the traditional etiquette of welcoming guests in my country. . The etiquette of receiving guests should be naturally revealed from the ordinary behavior, so as to show the sincerity of the host. If the guest arrives on time at the appointed time, the host should greet him in advance. If you are hosting friends at home, it is best for the couple to go out together to welcome the guests. When seeing a guest, the host should greet the guest warmly, extend his hand to shake hands to show welcome, and at the same time say "Thank you for your hard work on the road", "Welcome", "Hello" and other greetings. If a guest has something heavy, take the initiative to pick it up, but do not help with the guest's handbag or briefcase. Guests who are elderly or in poor health should come forward to support them to show concern.

(2) Getting on the bus

When getting on the bus, the receptionist should open the door for the guests, get on the bus from the right, and then go around from the back to the left to get on the bus.

For the seats in the car, the seat in the back row should be for the elders (for the two-seater in the back row, the right is for the elder; for the three-seater, the middle is for the elder, followed by the right, and then the left). Juniors or those with lower status should sit next to the driver. seats. If the owner is driving the car himself, the seat next to the driver should be given to the elder, and the rest of the people should sit in the back. The host should take the initiative to talk to the guests in the car, and at the same time, he can also introduce the local customs and tourist attractions to the guests. After the car arrives at the location, the receptionist should get out of the car first, open the door for the guests, and ask the guests to get out of the car.

(3) Entering the room

After getting off the bus, the person accompanying the guest should walk to the left of the guest, or behind the host and the guest. When arriving at the door of the reception room, the host or guest should open the door, let the guest advance, and give the guest the best seat in the room. At the same time, guests must be introduced to relevant personnel present according to etiquette.

Visitors should be treated equally, regardless of their position or familiarity, and should be greeted warmly and cordially. If there are family members, relatives, friends or colleagues at the reception site, they should also be introduced one by one to show a friendly atmosphere. If a guest comes unexpectedly, tidy up the room, office or desk as soon as possible and apologize to the guest.

Hospitality etiquette

Good hospitality etiquette reflects the host's enthusiasm and hospitality. It not only makes the guests feel friendly, natural and face-saving, but also makes oneself appear polite, affectionate and glorious.

(1) Seat offer and introduction

If it is an elder, superior or peer, he should be asked to sit in the upper seat, and the host should sit beside him to accompany him; if he is a junior or subordinate, please sit casually .

If the guest is visiting for the first time, he should introduce himself to his family and exchange greetings. Then make tea, pass cigarettes, or bring out fruits, snacks, etc. to entertain the guests. If you invite a guest to eat, you should ask the guest whether he wants to wash his hands. If you invite a guest to eat watermelon, you should prepare a plate with melon seeds and melon rinds and a towel.

(2) Serving tea

In family hospitality, serving tea to guests is an important part of hospitality. When you are sitting down to receive guests, you should try to wash the tea cups within the sight of the guests. Even if it is a clean teacup that you usually use as a spare, it should be scalded and washed with boiling water to make the guests feel that you pay attention to hygiene and avoid the embarrassing situation of being unwilling to drink because the teacup is unclean.

Use boiling water to make tea. If there is no boiling water, boil a small amount immediately to meet urgent needs, and say hello to the guests, please wait a moment. Brewing tea with boiling water will help release the aroma of tea, and at the same time, it will be easier to drink after the tea leaves sink to the bottom. Do not use warm water to make tea. This will cause the tea leaves to float to the edge of the cup, hinder conversation, and make guests reluctant to drink.

Take care of the tea cup and do not be reckless, so as not to spill the tea and make the tea table wet. Even wiping and wiping the tea will affect the atmosphere of respecting guests; if it is spilled on the guests, it will be even more embarrassing. .

Serving tea is also a etiquette that should be paid attention to. Tea should be served to guests with both hands. For cups with lugs, one usually holds the lugs with one hand and supports the bottom of the cup with the other hand, then gives the tea to the guests, and then says "Please have tea" or "Please have tea." Do not hold the edge of the cup with your fingers and serve it in front of the guests. This is not hygienic and polite.

The action of pouring tea should be gentle and gentle. At the same time, be careful not to pour too much at one time and cause it to overflow. If there is a lot of herbal tea, some should be poured out and then poured. The tea should be poured at the right time. Don’t pour the tea frequently when the guests are talking. When the guests stay for a long time and the tea is too weak, it is necessary to add tea leaves for brewing again. It is best to use the same tea leaves when re-brewing, and do not change varieties at will.

(3) Offer cigarettes

If the guest who comes to visit you has a habit of smoking, you should offer cigarettes to him. When offering cigarettes, open the cigarette box, pop out a few cigarettes with your hands, and then invite the guests to smoke. Do not force guests not to smoke.

(4) Conversation

Conversation is an important part of the hospitality process and an important part related to the success of the reception. First, the conversation should stick to the topic. The interview between the visitor and the receptionist is purposeful, so the conversation should focus on the topic and not deviate from the topic. If it is a communication between friends, talk about things that both parties are interested in. Don't just talk about your own affairs or issues that you care about, regardless of whether the other party is willing to listen or ignore the other party. Secondly, pay attention to the attitude and tone of the conversation.

When talking, you must respect others, do not use harsh words to hurt others, do not use forceful words, your tone should be gentle and moderate, and do not use power to overwhelm others. Third, during the meeting, listen carefully to what others are saying, do not look around and show impatient expressions, respond with a nod or smile in a timely manner, and do not interrupt casually. You should wait for others to finish talking before talking about your own views and opinions. Don't just listen without talking. Otherwise, it will also be a sign of disrespect for others. Fourth, pay attention to your sitting posture when talking. Fifth, don’t look at your watch or yawn frequently to avoid the other party misunderstanding that you are chasing away customers.

(5) Accompanying a visit

Accompanying a visit is a common etiquette in the reception process. When accompanying guests to visit, visit, or tour, you should pay attention to the following aspects: First, make advance arrangements in the reception plan and familiarize yourself with the situation in advance so that you can give a detailed introduction to the guests. Secondly, you must abide by the time, dress neatly, and arrange transportation. Again, be enthusiastic, proactive, and measured when accompanying.

Maybe some visitors are not welcomed by the host, but in terms of etiquette or virtue, everyone who comes is a guest. The host cannot refuse to exclude guests based on his own likes and dislikes, but must adopt some courtesy. practices. Otherwise, not only will the other party be resentful, but you will also lose your moral integrity and identity.

Send-off etiquette

Send-off is the last part of the reception. If it is not handled well, it will affect the effect of the entire reception. The etiquette of seeing off guests focuses on sending a piece of friendship. Specifically, they are:

(1) Stay politely

No matter what kind of guests you are receiving, when the guests are preparing to say goodbye, you should generally stay politely. Although this is a polite way of saying goodbye, , but also essential.

When the guests say goodbye, get up again after the guests get up. It is best to ask family members to send guests off together. When breaking up, guests should be greeted enthusiastically to "walk slowly", "go well", "goodbye", "welcome again", "keep in touch", etc.

(2) Send guests off in a good way

If you send a guest to the door, you should wait until the guest disappears completely before returning. Otherwise, when the guest turns back to greet him after walking for a while, he will feel a little uncomfortable when he finds that the host is no longer there. In addition, after sending guests back into the house, the door should be closed gently without making any noise. It is extremely rude to slam the door on a guest as soon as he or she leaves the house, and is likely to destroy all the emotions built up during the guest's visit.

When seeing guests off at the station, pier or airport, don’t act uneasy, so that the guests may misunderstand that you are urging them to leave quickly. When sending guests to the airport, it is best to wait until the guests pass the security check before returning. Because there may be some items that are not allowed on the plane and need to be kept by you.

If the guest "relatively firmly" refuses to be seen off by the host, you can follow the guest's wishes and do not have to "force the guest off".