WHAT DOES A FRONT OFFICE DO?

Published: Jun 18, 2025 - The Front Office Professional maintains the smooth operation of front-desk activities by coordinating administrative tasks and ensuring a welcoming environment. This role involves handling visitor management, scheduling, and communication with professionalism and efficiency. This position also supports internal teams through accurate record-keeping and prompt response to daily operational needs.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Front Office

1. Front Desk Office Administrator Duties and Roles

  • Reception Management: Responsible for the front office reception and administration.
  • Communication Skills: Professionally answer the main office switchboard number and take messages.
  • Customer Service: Receive and attend to walk-in customers/visitors.
  • Mail Handling: Receive, sort, and compose daily mail, including emails to the right departments.
  • Courier Coordination: Support the mail room with courier requests and deliveries.
  • Sales Order Processing: Assist in the processing of sales orders for customer service.
  • Office Administration: Attend to day-to-day general office administration, file management, and administrative support.
  • Clinical Coordination: Partner with clinical staff in managing in-progress services.
  • Time Management: Ensure that all tasks are completed on time.

2. Front Office Assistant Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Call Handling: Answer incoming calls, triage, and assist callers with needs.
  • Patient Assistance: Assist patients with checking in and checking out.
  • Scheduling: Schedule appointments for new and existing patients.
  • Sales Support: Sell batteries and other supplies for hearing aids.
  • Correspondence: Send out letters and reports.
  • Document Management: Scan and manage eDocs for documentation.
  • Follow-Up: Return phone calls.
  • Billing Support: Help confirm billings are entered in OMS and assist patients with payments.
  • Paperwork: Complete basic paperwork, forms.
  • Chart Preparation: Prepare patient charts for day appointments.
  • Room Setup: Assists with patient room preparation.

3. Front Office Coordinator Role Purpose

  • Customer Service: Greets all patients and visitors in a warm and friendly manner and utilizes positive customer service in all interactions in a fast-paced environment.
  • Appointment Scheduling: Responsible for registration, check-in, scheduling future and same-day appointments.
  • Data Verification: Verifies current demographics and insurance information with every patient and updates information in the system.
  • Portal Enrollment: Enrolls patients in LifeLong Patient Portal (MyChart).
  • EHR Management: Enters data using Electronic Health Record (EHR) for all patient interactions, documents, and card scanning.
  • Patient Flow Coordination: Manages patient flow from front to back office.
  • Phone Handling: Answers clinic phones and directs calls appropriately.
  • Payment Processing: Responsible for collecting visit copays and cash collections management (send cash to A/P, notify A/P if no cash has been collected).
  • Reception Maintenance: Maintains the appearance of the waiting areas and the reception desk.
  • Inventory Management: Maintains inventory of front desk supplies and forms.
  • Correspondence: Generates correspondence.

4. Front Office Executive Essential Functions

  • Administrative Support: Management report and perform administrative duties.
  • Front Desk Management: Manage the front desk/reception operations, acting as the first point of contact for guests, employees, candidates, and vendors.
  • Scheduling: Schedule and confirm appointments, meetings, and events.
  • Clerical Tasks: Perform general administrative tasks, including answering and directing phone calls, email correspondence, faxing, filing, meeting minutes, mailings and deliveries, and coordinating meeting room calendars.
  • Supply Management: Monitor office supplies and order replacements.
  • Record Keeping: Keep records and files of employees up-to-date.
  • Expense Monitoring: Monitor office expenses and costs.
  • Security Coordination: Coordinate with security to aid safety of the employees.
  • Goal Achievement: Oversee and achieve organizational goals while upholding best practices.

5. Front Office Manager Roles and Responsibilities

  • Front Office Operations: Responsible for the smooth running of the Front Office department and providing the highest level of service to guests.
  • Interdepartmental Communication: Strong and effective communication with all other departments.
  • Reservation Management: In charge of overseeing room reservations and restaurant bookings.
  • Staff Scheduling: Manage the rotas and shift scheduling in line with departmental budgets.
  • Team Supervision: Train and supervise the front desk team and provide them with career development plans.
  • Standards Compliance: Ensure the company’s standards are met and exceeded at all times.
  • Guest Relations: Manage and handle guests’ feedback and complaints.
  • Revenue Promotion: Develop and maintain new incentives through the promotion of packages and offers to motivate colleagues and maximise hotel revenue.
  • Health and Safety Compliance: Adhere to the company’s Health and Safety policies.

6. Front Office Specialist Job Summary

  • Patient Greeting: Greet all patients using scripts and office protocol, answer and manage all incoming calls.
  • Appointment Scheduling: Schedule patients for new/returning/follow-up appointments and provide all necessary information to prepare them for appointments and procedures.
  • Insurance Checks: Verify insurance with carriers and patients.
  • Data Updates: Verify and update patient information, inform patients of policies, and enter data into the system.
  • Appointment Follow-up: Confirm upcoming appointments and recalls, fill in cancellations and no-shows.
  • Authorization Handling: Verify authorizations and accept or transmit fax information for needed physician-patient information.
  • Payment Collection: Collect co-payments at the time of service and ensure proper billing.
  • Message Checks: Check fax/phone/voicemail/email consistently for updates.

7. Front Office Supervisor Key Accountabilities

  • Guest Inquiry Handling: Achieve positive outcomes from Guest enquiries in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Auditing Tasks: Complete all guest auditing and processing efficiently.
  • Customer Service: Provide exceptional customer service at all times.
  • Product Knowledge: Confidently demonstrate knowledge of hotel room categories, room rates, packages, promotions and other general product knowledge.
  • Upselling Skills: Maximize room occupancy and use up-selling techniques to promote hotel services and facilities.
  • Payment Procedures: Use the correct procedures regarding the acceptance of foreign currencies, credit cards and cash following the hotel credit policy.
  • Request Handling: Handle guest requests, inquiries and complaints promptly.
  • Policy Awareness: Maintain knowledge of hotel products, services, policies and emergency procedures.
  • Event Tracking: Keep up to date with VIP guest movements, hotel events, local attractions and activities.