on 04-06-2013 02:26 PM
...if you walked into the reception of a business and there were three young women sitting there in a casual attitude, chatting amongst themselves, eating lunch out of takeaway containers?
on 04-06-2013 02:43 PM
Why are all 3 having a break at the same time? Shouldn't they take different break times so one is in reception at all times?
only one of them may work there ? the others could be friends ?
on 04-06-2013 02:53 PM
I have been into plenty of small businesses where the person at the front counter/reception is trying to eat their lunch while they continue working.. there is no one else to replace them. They are too busy to take a break (wrong but it happens).
on 04-06-2013 02:57 PM
How can they answer the phone while eating?
on 04-06-2013 03:02 PM
Not a good look for the business. Surely there would be a staff room/kitchen area where they could eat or at the other desks away from reception.
One person at a reception desk if there is no one to replace them would be ok.
on 04-06-2013 03:06 PM
How can they answer the phone while eating?
Chew fast before you pick up the phone.
on 04-06-2013 03:15 PM
No. I've been in a position where I had to relieve the receptionist so she could take her break and it would have been totally inappropriate or even not allowed to have food on the "front desk"
My own desk, entirely different story :^O
Thank you meep, I think the same.
All three girls have an allotted 1 hour for their lunch break. Only one of them is my relief receptionist. They used their lunch break to go drive to their favourite take-away for their Frango's portugese chicken. Then to sit in reception, while I'm on my break, as if it were a ladies circle. One of them sitting on the bench banging her heels against the cupboard door.
I have a discreet morning or afternoon tea while at reception, but I would never ever eat a full hot lunch in or have my friends in to keep me company while at the front desk.
I'm actually quite cross about it and will certainly have to speak to her about it.
I can only hope none of our clients or associates came in while they were here.
Such a bad look.
on 04-06-2013 03:19 PM
Agree. Totally unprofessional.
on 04-06-2013 03:24 PM
If they were eating their lunch in reception, when they had already used up all or most of their lunch break time to go buy the hot food, then that is not on.
Hot food smells emanating from a reception area (one that has several staff, set lunch break times and a staff room) isn't good either.
The girl relieving you was not even on a break and shouldn't have been eating lunch in that time period anyway?
on 04-06-2013 03:42 PM
regardless of that, the clients probably would have not realised the girls were not supposed to be having lunch, they may have assumed it was the business' normal practice.
on 04-06-2013 04:35 PM
If they were eating their lunch in reception, when they had already used up all or most of their lunch break time to go buy the hot food, then that is not on.
Hot food smells emanating from a reception area (one that has several staff, set lunch break times and a staff room) isn't good either.
The girl relieving you was not even on a break and shouldn't have been eating lunch in that time period anyway?
That brings me to another one of my gripes. The smell of people reheating their last nights dinner for lunch can be powerful sometimes when it's very garlicky or spicy. It lingers in reception for hours and I have to light a scented candle to mask the smell.
I get very embarrassed when I have clients or business people in reception.
Our management is great! We have 2 microwaves, a sandwich maker, a toaster, a pie warmer, a bean coffee machine and a Jarrah coffee machine, as well as 2 fridges in our staff room. And a dishwasher.