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Description

Front Desk and Switchboard Host: Welcoming, Screening and Directing with Confidence

Embody the company's first impression at the front desk and on the switchboard, even at peak times

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

At the front desk, everything happens at once: a visitor arrives while a line is ringing and a colleague asks for information. The quality of the exchange slips without anyone deciding it should. Yet this is precisely where the visitor's first impression of the company is formed.

Two days to professionalise the role: welcoming and directing a visitor, handling a switchboard with several lines, screening without causing offence, dealing with tense situations and applying site security instructions. Exercises are run under conditions close to the real workstation, with simultaneous demands.

Learning objectives

  • Welcome a visitor and direct them in line with site rules
  • Operate a switchboard while handling several simultaneous calls
  • Screen and qualify a request without putting the caller in a difficult position
  • Respond to a dissatisfied or insistent visitor
  • Apply the site's security and confidentiality instructions

What makes this programme different

Exercises reproduce the simultaneity of the role, between visitors present and incoming telephone lines
Front desk vocabulary is worked on phrase by phrase, then recorded for later review
Tense situations are replayed until a stable professional posture is achieved

Programme

1The Front Desk Function

First contact and company image

  • Position the front desk within the visitor and customer journey
  • Identify what is at stake in the first few seconds
  • Adapt posture, eye contact and appearance to the site context
  • Know which information may and may not be shared

2Welcoming and Directing the Visitor

A smooth journey from entrance to meeting

  • Lead the welcome exchange from initial greeting through to direction
  • Manage waiting time and communicate expected delays
  • Handle several visitors present at the same time
  • Apply registration and visitor badge procedures

3Operating the Switchboard

Several lines and a single voice

  • Introduce the company and qualify the call from the moment it is answered
  • Place a call on hold and return to it without losing the caller
  • Transfer calls with a useful announcement for the recipient
  • Take a usable message and ensure it is passed on

4Handling Difficult Situations

Staying composed as pressure rises

  • Receive dissatisfaction without taking it personally
  • Hold a screening instruction in the face of insistence
  • Manage an agitated visitor or an unauthorised entry
  • Apply security instructions and raise the alert

Who is it for

Front desk and switchboard hosts and any person responsible for welcoming visitors and handling incoming calls on a site.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.