Receptionist (Front Desk) Tasks
Introduction: The receptionist position has continued to expand past just answering phone calls. There are a wide variety of duties that need to be carried out in a timely, helpful manner. Work assignments may be issued by any of the Purchasing staff.
General Guidelines for Daily Duties
These are guidelines of how the work may flow through the front desk. This is just a guideline - other instructions may be provided. Helping customers may take precedent over other duties listed in this guide. The items below are in the suggested order they should be done in the day. For example the first item is best done as soon as you arrive in the morning.
- Checking Voice Mail
Check the telephone message-plate to see if there are any voice mail messages and do the needful.
- Open Incoming Campus Mail
Campus mail is dropped off several times a day and should be sorted and distributed to appropriate personnel as soon as possible after receiving. Mail is dropped off in the large green metal bin on the far right corner of the front desk.
- List the Buyer's Schedules
Sign into Groupwise calendar. Write down the buyers and director's schedule for the day. Post this list on the cubical wall for easy reference throughout the day. In addition to this, find out from the Office Manager and the Director as to who else is absent (as in sick, etc.) and add those names to the list.
- Facilities Management (FM) Mail
Check Denis Larson's mailbox and place all outgoing pieces to FM in one big envelope. Address to "Denis Larson, FM Purchasing, 400 Donhowe Building". Place this envelope in the black bin on the counter next to the Campus mail green bin at the Receptionist desk. The FM runner usually picks this up by 9:30 am each morning.
The FM messanger will drop off any incoming mail from FM in the same black bin where the outgoing FM mail is kept. This should be sorted down and distributed to the appropriate personnel.
- Outgoing U.S. Mail & Courier Mail
All the outgoing U.S. Mail is placed in the wire basket at the counter where the vendor phone is located. By 10:30 am, take all items found in this basket to the Addressing & Mailing Bin located at the 6th floor Mail Room. There is no need to put postage stamps on the envelopes. This will be handled by the Addressing & Mailing Department.
Do not put personal mail in this basket.
See Courier Procedures for preparing courier requests. These are generally urgent in nature and should be attended to as soon as possible.
- Incoming US Mail, Incoming Courier Mail or Campus Mail
Usually by 1 pm, the incoming US mail will be ready to be picked up by the receptionist from the 6th floor Mail Room (there is a bin for Purchasing Services' Mail). This should be sorted and distributed. Since this stack may include bids/proposals that are due at 3pm, it is important that this duty not be delayed or overlooked. Look for the envelopes with bid/RFP numbers written outside and separate them first.
- Bids/Proposals
Vendors have the option of submitting a sealed bid or not. By noting the bid/rfp number or description on the outside of the envelope, the vendor is indicating they want the bid to remain sealed until the 3pm due date. Envelopes with any indication of a bid/RFP enclosed must not be opened but rather be clocked on the time-clock and placed in the wire basket located near the time clock. The File person will collect them before the bid opening.
Envelopes without any reference to an enclosed bid should also be clocked after opening the envelope. In such cases, keep the envelope with the bid to show that there was no indication of that envelope being a bid, and therefore had to be opened. Wherever possible, the clocked-in stamp should be directly on the bid or behind the first page of the bid/rfp. This time stamp should be clearly readable. If not, restamp the document immediately.
Do NOT open any envelopes, which are labeled "Confidential".
- Magazines
The Purchasing Department subscribes to many magazines, such as Fortune, Newsweek, Twin Cities Business Monthly, Business Weekly, etc. And also, we get a lot of other periodicals and journals, which are sent free. Irrespective of whose name is on the address label, these magazines should be placed in the appropriate magazine rack located on the file cabinet between Jane Thomas and Karen Triplett's cubicles. Those magazines without a rack should be laid out on the file cabinet. Every month, take out the older issues from the rack/cabinet and recycle. A rule of thumb is to keep at least two recent issues on the rack.
- Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements of orders received by vendors, sometimes, end up in Purchasing. Every effort must be made to re-direct these to the appropriate department as the ship-to department information usually is available on the acknowledgement. If a purchase order is referenced, this will narrow down the owner to a specific area for the receptionist to further research.
- Incoming Referrals
Departments will usually return the Referrals (the award information) by Campus mail. But coordinate campuses will return them via U.S. mail. In either case, clock the referral sheet and deliver the whole packet (as original bids will be accompanying the referrals) to the Files.
- Mail Addressed to Another Department
Re-direct this type of mail to the correct department by Campus Mail. Do NOT throw it away.
- Checks That Are Not For Purchasing
If checks addressed to the "Regents of Minnesota" or just "University of Minnesota", which are identified as not belonging to Purchasing, are received, take them to Noreen Elliott in Disbursement Services.
- Requisitions
Requisition documents may come by campus mail, U.S. Mail, fax or walk-ins. Deliver them to the Files.
- Contract for Professional Services (CFPS forms)
All new CFPS should be taken to Payroll and leave them in their "IN" box. New CFPS forms are those with no payroll stamp. All other CFPS should be placed in the mail box for the CFPS Coordinator.
- Aged Open Purchase Order/Travel Authorization Reports
These reports, if for PO document closing, should be placed in Office Manager's mailbox. If for closing Travel documents, send the report to the Disbursement Services. Again, this may come either by campus mail, U.S. mail or fax.
- Certificate of Insurance
Deliver all Insurance certificates to the Files.
- Invoices
Invoices belonging to Purchasing Department for its internal purchases should be date stamped and routed to the BIS Coordinator for processing. Invoices, which are not for Purchasing, should be sent to Disbursement Services.
- Joint Powers Agreement
Route these forms to the U-Wide Contract Coordinator.
- Junk Mail
The mail addressed to an ex-employee should be given to that person's replacement employee. Very clear and visible junk mail can be tossed out. If not sure, check with the office manager.
- All Other Mail
All other pieces of mail are to be opened and left to the appropriate staff person's mail box located on the wall behind the Receptionist desk.
- Outgoing Campus Mail
Outgoing campus mail envelopes are collected in a wire basket located on the counter where vendor phone is placed. At approximately 2:30 pm, the receptionist takes the campus mail outside to the campus mailbox.
- Preparing Referrals and Returns
See also Referrals for more details. These should be prepared and mailed the same day they are presented to the receptionist. In some cases, the buyer may request it be couriered.
- Change Calendar
Change the public calendar at the end of the day.
- Schedule Conference Rooms
The buyers will generally work with their PA on scheduling conference rooms, but they may also ask the receptionist to schedule rooms. See also Conference Room Scheduling for more details.
- Bid Tabulations
Most tabulations are prepared by the Buyer's PA, however there may be times when the receptionist will be asked to also complete the tabulation. See also Tabulations for more details.
- Sponsored Project Administration (SPA) Mail
Leave the outgoing mail for SPA on the top tray of the two-bin tray on the counter in front of the receptionist. Once a day these will be picked up by a mail runner.
- Process Documents for Purchasing Department
The receptionist is responsible for processing Purchasing Services internal purchase orders, which are done in Financial Forms Nirvana (FFN). The receptionist processes other documents such as Travel Authorizations (TA), Travel Expense Vouchers, including Local Mileage Reimbursements, Payment Voucher Authorizations (PVA), Parking Voucher Authorization, etc., as directed by the Director/Office Manager/Buyers.
- Class Materials
The buyer's Purchasing Assistant (PA) usually will handle preparing the class materials for the various classes we present. Once in a while the receptionist will be asked to also help prepare materials. See also Class Materials for more details.
- Maintaining ILOC Requests
The receptionist will receive requests to set up new or change or delete existing codes for departments. See also ILOC Procedures for more details.
- Greeting Visitors
The receptionist provides vendors and other visitors with accurate and appropriate information and directs them to the proper area or personnel. Usually, vendors can see buyers only with an appointment. See also Receptionist - Greeting Visitors for details.
- Appointments
Vendors usually make appointments to see a buyer. When the vendor arrives, ask him/her who do they want to see and announce this to the buyer by phone or in person, if the buyer is not responding to the call. Due to the confidential information kept in the buyer's office, vendors are not allowed to go directly to the buyer's workstation. The buyer will either come to greet them personally or will tell you to send them to his/her office. Buyers try to make time for any department representative, who comes to do official business. They may be directed to the buyer's office. Vendors without an appointment should be announced to the buyer and the buyer will determine if they have sufficient time to meet with the drop in vendor.
- Phone Calls
See also Receptionist Telephone Protocol for details.
- Changing Time Clock
The time clock is critical to the receiving in of bids/RFPs. It is important that this clock always has the most accurate date and time. At the beginning of the day and few other times throughout the day, verify the accuracy of date and time and correct errors, if any, immediately.
- U-Purch E-Mails
The receptionist receives all the departmental e-mails that are addressed to U-Purch. These e-mails should be answered or forwarded to the appropriate staff. E-mails that request PO Closings should be forwarded to the Office Manager.
- Vendor Results
Files will review documents with vendors, but may seek the Receptionist's help if the review will be lengthy. See also Files Procedures. Any folders returned by the vendor to the Receptionist after the review should be returned to Files. See also Referrals and Returns for more information.
- CED Response Sheets
See Referrals and CED Procedures regarding faxing of the CED Response Sheets.
Last Revised: February 11, 2002
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