Reception Customer Service Essentials Course
Entry-level reception training to build confident, professional service across front desk, concierge, front counter and admin — in one 3-hour session.
$278 per person ex GST (Discounts Available)
Delivered via 1 x 3-Hour Session
ACXPA Certified: This course is officially certified by the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association (ACXPA), the industry body committed to helping Australian businesses deliver better customer experiences and stronger results.
Essential Reception Skills for Front Desk, Concierge and Admin Teams
The Reception Customer Service Essentials course is a fast-paced, high-impact 3-hour live online session that equips receptionists, front-desk, concierge and admin staff with the behaviours and techniques that drive positive, confident and professional customer interactions across in-person, phone and email.
Whether you’re onboarding new hires or refreshing experienced staff, Essentials focuses on the must-have reception skills that improve first impressions, reduce effort and resolve enquiries quickly.
- Handle enquiries with empathy and confidence
- Build trust and rapport from the first contact
- Manage tricky situations with calm professionalism
- Communicate clearly across phone, email and face-to-face
This isn’t fluffy, generic training. Backed by 30+ years of real-world coaching and assessment — and endorsed by ACXPA — it cuts through clichés and teaches what actually works at reception.
Your team will master the key moments in every customer interaction: start strong, identify needs, personalise responses and finish on a high. They’ll also leave with a simple framework to handle difficult scenarios with confidence.
Essentials is:
- Short enough to minimise disruption (one 3-hour session)
- Designed specifically for virtual delivery with interactive practice
- Delivered by Simon Blair, one of Australia’s top-rated customer service trainers
If you’re ready to lift service at reception, front desk, concierge or front counter — this Essentials course gets results fast.
Reception Customer Service Essentials — Fast Facts
Practical skills reception teams use the same day.
A fast-tracked, high-impact 3-hour session for receptionists, front-desk, concierge and admin roles. Build the core reception customer service skills to create great first impressions, handle enquiries confidently and deliver smooth experiences across in-person, phone and email.
Essentials keeps disruption low while delivering practical, immediately applicable techniques that raise professionalism and lift customer outcomes.
Reception Customer Service Essentials – Built for Online Delivery
Forget boring webinars — this is practical, interactive training that works. The Reception Customer Service Essentials course has been specifically designed for virtual delivery, using proven methods that keep participants engaged and ensure skills stick.
This is not passive training. Staff actively learn through live demonstrations, group activities and hands-on practice that bring reception service skills to life — even online.
Led by Simon Blair, one of Australia’s most in-demand customer service trainers, participants stay energised, focused and walk away with techniques they’ll use at the front desk, on the phone, or via email the very same day.
Why it works:
- 3 hours only: Short enough to hold attention, long enough to create real change
- Zero tech stress: Delivered via Zoom or Teams — no installs or hassles
- Immediate impact: Staff return to work with simple frameworks they can apply straight away
We get it – online training can feel like a gamble.
But participants consistently rate this program as just as engaging as in-person training — often more convenient for teams spread across multiple sites.
👉 Still unsure? Check out what past reception participants had to say >
Simple and Effective!
Simon was great at delivering the course! I have learned a few essential steps that hugely improved my confidence and the quality of my customer service. I highly recommend this course!
Who Should Attend the Reception Customer Service Essentials Course?
The Reception Customer Service Essentials course is designed for anyone in a reception, front desk, front counter, concierge or admin role where professional, confident and efficient service is essential.
The skills taught apply across all industries, ensuring participants can handle enquiries face-to-face, over the phone or via email with ease.
This course is ideal for:
- New reception and admin staff needing strong customer service foundations.
- Experienced employees seeking a refresh or confidence boost.
- Teams who’ve never had formal reception customer service training.
Roles that benefit from Reception Customer Service Essentials include:
Whether onboarding new hires or upskilling experienced staff, this Essentials course builds confidence, structure and communication skills for exceptional service in any reception or front desk role.
What Reception Staff Learn in the Essentials Course
Delivered in a single, 3-hour live online session, the Reception Customer Service Essentials course focuses on the must-have skills that ensure positive customer experiences and efficient outcomes across all reception roles.
Participants learn how to project professionalism, build rapport quickly and maintain control of interactions across face-to-face, phone and email channels.
With a focus on body language, empathy, clarity and energy, receptionists gain the tools to handle enquiries, manage challenging scenarios and leave lasting positive impressions.
Training is hands-on and practical, with demonstrations, scenarios and guided practice built around seven reception-focused modules.
1. Service Psychology and Standards
A short exploration of what customers want and need when they contact you, based on decades of research.
Includes an introduction to the five core competencies of the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association’s Phone Customer Service Quality Standards and how they enable an enhanced reception experience for customers.
2. How to Engage
Your employees will learn how to create a strong first impression and an improved customer focus through strong ownership, intent and the management of customer expectations to build trust and confidence.
3. Body Language & Voice Projection
Participants will explore and practice the use of good posture, breathing, vocal delivery, and body language to enable strong face-to-face and phone communication that builds confidence in customers and enhances their impact.
4. How to Discover & Educate
We’ll teach your employees and practice the three critical discovery techniques (as used by the FBI) to converse, mirror and confirm customer needs more effectively.
They will learn how to proactively educate and inform customers with relevant information in a manner that makes it easy for them to get what they want from you.
5. How to Close
Employees will learn how to better control and transform the end of any type of customer interaction to avoid those often awkward, clunky finishes through a simple method of strong final checks, expressions of gratitude and thanks in a warm farewell.
The 3 closing techniques will be extensively practiced in rapid-fire simulations of the end of various reception interactions to build greater confidence and expertise in how to finish any customer conversation.
6. Handling Difficult Customers
Participants will learn and practice a powerful two-step method for dealing with more challenging customer types and situations and learn how to use the most appropriate language, empathy techniques, and actions to enhance reception experiences.
7. Email & Chat Essentials
Critical tips and techniques to transform your emails and online chat communication when responding to customer enquiries to better engage the reader and deliver information in a clear & concise manner.
Compare Reception Customer Service Course Options
You're currently viewing the Reception Customer Service Essentials course – a great starting point.
If you're looking to build on those skills with more polish, practice, and confidence in handling different customer situations, our Foundations and PRO courses offer more depth. Here's a quick comparison to help you choose the best option for your team.
Not quite the right fit? We also offer customer service training for frontline (retail/hospitality/in-person) teams, phone-based staff, tech support, and inbound sales roles.
Looking for lower-cost options? Explore our self-paced online courses, including the popular Online Customer Service Course pathway. Explore all our live customer service training categories →
Trainer for the Reception Customer Service Essentials Course
The Reception Customer Service Essentials training course is led by Simon Blair , one of Australia’s most respected and engaging customer service trainers.
With over 30 years’ experience, Simon blends behavioural science, proven frameworks, and hands-on coaching to help staff at reception desks, front counters, and concierge roles deliver more confident, consistent, and professional service from day one.
Simon is a father of 4 and lives in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. His twin girls keep him busy running around following their footy careers (one is an AFLW footballer with Collingwood) and he has a great love of music.
He does land the odd corporate or private gig around town as an acoustic guitarist and singer belting out rock and pop classics.
He has great adventures with his partner Ines, loves the North Melbourne Kangaroos footy team and every now and then escapes into other worlds when playing Dungeon & Dragons with his mates. He likes to call himself a ‘cool nerd’.
Recent Testimonials from Our Reception Training Courses
What makes CX Skills reception training courses stand out is the quality of our trainers — real industry experts who bring practical experience to every session.
From Reception Essentials to Foundations and PRO, our reception-focused courses continue to earn praise for their engaging delivery, real-world relevance, and lasting impact. Here's a sample of what participants have said recently:
Absolutely Brilliant Trainer and Content!
This course was a great reminder of simple steps to polish our skills on reception. The presenter (Simon) made it fun and light hearted, but very informative.
I took away some great tools to use in my workplace. I would highly recommend this course!
Interactive & Enjoyable!
Simon’s training was a great learning experience. His interactive teaching style made the class truely enjoyable.
Engaging, informative and fun!
Simon was an engaging, supportive and fun facilitator for these sessions. He welcomed our mistakes, but also gave us information on how to work on them in the future. I would recommend Simon to anyone that wants to boost their customer service skills.
I think for me as someone who has been in customer service for over 5 years, the course was a bit simplified and I didn’t really learn anything new, but, if a newbie in customer service wanted to develop their skills then this would be the place for it. Nonetheless it was an excellent reminder of customer service processes I have learnt in the past.
Just What I Needed!
This course just what I needed. It was clear on its content and easy to follow. Thank you Simon for making it engaging and practical.
Great course - Informative and Enjoyable!
Thank you Simon for a great course. I not only learnt information about the psychological ways and behaviors of customers via phone/in person but also some dating tips too! We got to do role play of scenarios to understand and practice what it’s like to handle customers in various ways which was a great way for us to interact and be a part of the course. Very informative and especially enjoyed understanding the science behind our brain and how we process our emotions and logical side. e.g. amygdala part of the brain.
Trusted by Leading Organisations Across Australia
Hundreds of businesses — from local councils to national brands — have chosen CX Skills to upskill their teams with practical, real-world customer service training.
Public vs Private Reception Customer Service Essentials Training Options
The Reception Customer Service Essentials course is available in both public and private formats, with flexible delivery options to suit your needs — live online or onsite at your workplace.
Our public courses are ideal for individuals or small teams who want to join a scheduled session with participants from other businesses. It’s a great way to upskill reception staff in a structured environment while gaining fresh perspectives.
Public courses are also perfect for businesses with ongoing staff changes — giving you an easy way to onboard new employees consistently and efficiently.
Want something tailored? Our private courses provide a fully customised experience built around your team’s needs. You choose the timing, format, and we’ll adapt the content to address your unique reception and front desk service challenges.
Use the comparison table below to find the best fit for your team. Still unsure? Get in touch — we’ll help you choose the right solution to strengthen your team’s reception customer service skills.
| Feature | Reception Essentials Public Course | Reception Essentials Private Course |
|---|---|---|
| Who Attends | Open to all companies and individuals | Your team only |
| Learning Environment | Hear different perspectives and insights from others in various industries. | Training customised to your organisation’s specific reception goals. |
| Dates & Times | Fixed schedule making it easy to plan ahead | Fully flexible to suit your needs |
| Content | Standardised curriculum covering core reception skills | Customised modules aligned to your business challenges |
| Delivery Method | Live online | Live online or onsite |
| Cost | $278 per person ex GST | Cost-effective for larger groups |
| Best For | Businesses needing a ready-made training solution with fixed dates | Companies wanting a tailored program designed around their reception team |
| Minimum Numbers | No minimum — enrol one or more employees | Minimum of 4 participants |
| View Upcoming Public Courses > | Learn More About Private Training > |
Not sure which option is best for your team? Contact us to discuss your needs, and we’ll help you choose the right solution.
Pricing and Payment Options
Facilitated by Simon Blair, the Reception Customer Service Essentials course is $278 per person (ex GST) for a practical, high-impact 3-hour live session.
No minimum numbers are required — enrol one receptionist or your whole team.
Select your preferred session date below and complete the simple booking process to secure your place.
💳 Pay instantly by credit card, or request an invoice during checkout.
Don’t delay — lock in your team’s training today and build stronger, more professional reception service skills. ✅
Book a Public Reception Customer Service Essentials Course
All upcoming course dates are listed below. Choose your preferred session and purchase tickets instantly.
💳 Secure checkout is available via credit card, or request an invoice during the booking process.
Have questions about Reception Customer Service Essentials?
Want to enrol multiple employees or explore customised training?
Call us on
+61 3 9008 7287
(Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:30pm Melbourne, Australia) or
send us a message.
New public course dates are published on a regular basis!
November 2025 Reception Customer Service Essentials
Online via Zoom Price: $278.00 AUD ex GSTThe November 2025 Reception Customer Service Essentials course teaches premium customer service skills for in-person, phone and email - suitable for all front desk/reception roles.
Reception Customer Service Essentials — FAQs
Yes. Essentials is designed for new reception/front desk staff who need a solid foundation, and it doubles as a focused refresher for experienced employees who want to lift confidence and consistency.
It’s a single 3-hour live online session with interactive practice, scenarios and coaching. No pre-work required, and it fits easily around rosters.
Yes. Essentials covers in-person, phone and email interactions, so reception, concierge, front counter and admin teams can deliver consistent service across channels.
All three teach the same core reception service principles. Essentials delivers them in one concise 3-hour session for quick uplift. Foundations runs over two sessions for more depth and practice. PRO extends further with advanced scenarios and coaching intensity for experienced teams.
Yes. Examples and techniques are designed for medical clinics, hotels/concierge, offices, property, education, gyms and more. The behaviours are universal and easy to tailor to your environment.
For general FAQs about booking, payments and certificates, see the Reception Customer Service Training parent page.
💡 Save 25% Instantly on This Course – and Every CX Skills Course!
Want to get an instant 25% discount on this course and all future training?
As a member of the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association (ACXPA), you’ll unlock exclusive discounts, expert resources, and professional development opportunities to enhance customer interactions and service quality.
📢 Annual Memberships start from just $35 per employee – making it a smart investment whether you're upskilling yourself or training your team.
🚀 Learn More & Save 25% Before You Enrol >