“I’ve been working as a receptionist at this office building for over five years. I get in bright and early in the morning to greet and register guests, liaise with the offices in the tower to arrange logistics and also escort guests to where they need to be. Sometimes in the evenings I help to receive guests at private events. I also make sure that anybody with special needs - the elderly, the disabled are taken care of and get the assistance that they need. There was one time when a lady came up to me in a panic and told me that she had severe claustrophobia and needed to be escorted up to her meeting. She was terrified but I stayed with her through the elevator ride, chatted with her to calm her nerves and made sure that a friendly face was there to receive her once the elevator doors opened. First impressions are so important; that’s why I always have a big smile on my face to welcome guests into the building. My goal is to make anyone who passes by this reception feel less stressed and more happy after seeing me.”

「我係呢幢寫字樓做咗接待員超過五年了。我每朝都會好精神咁返到嚟，迎接入嚟嘅訪客，幫佢哋做登記，協調大廈租戶嘅送貨流程，亦都會帶訪客去佢哋要去嘅地方。有時夜晚會有啲私人活動，我都會幫手接待客人。另外，我都會確保有特別需要嘅人士，例如係長者同埋殘疾人士，會喺度得到佢哋需要嘅支援。有一次，有個女士好緊張咁嚟到我呢度，話佢有好嚴重嘅幽閉恐懼症，想有人陪佢去開會嘅地方。佢搭𨋢嗰陣好驚，但我嘗試一路同佢傾偈，等佢放鬆啲，亦確保𨋢門一開就會有人迎接佢。第一印象係好緊要㗎，所以我成日都會笑住去迎接大廈嘅訪客。我希望可以令到每一個喺接待處見過我嘅人，心情輕鬆啲同埋開心啲。 

 “I meet a lot of people as a receptionist, and most of them say “hello” and “how are you” to me. Many office workers see me day in, day out and there is a sense of friendly familiarity. They stop by to chit chat with me no matter what mood they are in - happy or sad. This opportunity for constant human connection is what I enjoy most about my work. There are of course sometimes more difficult individuals to deal with - people who are stressed, in a rush, or don’t know where they are going. I just try to keep my calm and handle these situations as smoothly as possible. Prior to this job, I spent many years working in the hospitality industry. I guess that’s where I picked up all the essential people-facing skills. They taught us etiquette, manners and how to make people feel special. So when I take a day off, people come back the next day to tell me that they missed me!”

“When I was growing up, I barely saw my father - maybe once or twice a year. He worked around the clock as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant and his long shifts meant that when he was home, we were out or in school. Like me, he also worked in an industry where he would come across hundreds of people daily and I think I picked up my work ethic and attitude towards people from him. He’s retired now so I’m happy that I can finally spend more time with him on the weekends. When I’m off work I also like to just relax and watch cartoons, soap operas and travel shows. I also like to smile, both in and outside of work. I remember when I was a kid, a stranger told me, ‘when you smile, you make other people happy too’. For some reason that simple statement has really left an imprint on me and now smiling has become a habit - the more you do it, the easier it becomes!”

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「我做接待員平時會見到好多人，佢哋好多都會同我打個招呼，講聲「你好嗎」。好多喺度返工嘅員工日日都見到我，大家之間有種親切感。開心好，唔開心又好，佢哋都會停低同我講兩句。呢份工可以長期同人交流，係我最享受嘅一部份。當然有時會遇到啲比較難相處嘅人，例如係好緊張嘅人啦、趕時間或者唔識路嘅人。有呢啲情況我都係會保持鎮靜，盡快幫佢哋解決問題。未做呢份工之前，我喺酒店業做咗好多年。我諗我係喺嗰度學識所有對人嘅技巧。嗰行教識咗我點樣保持儀態，有禮貌同埋令到對方覺得受尊重。所以當我放咗一日假，啲人第二日都會話佢哋掛住我, 唔慣見唔到我！」

「細個嗰陣，我好少見到我爸爸，一年可能只係見得一兩次。佢喺一間酒樓度做侍應，工時好長，佢喺屋企嗰陣，我哋通常都出咗街或者返咗學。同我一樣，佢份工都係每日會接觸好多人，我諗我工作同埋待人處事嘅態度都係喺我爸爸度學返嚟。佢而家退咗休喇，所以我終於可以星期六日花多啲時間陪佢。放假嗰陣我都鍾意就咁放鬆吓，睇吓動畫，睇吓劇同埋旅遊節目。無論係咪返緊工，我都係咁鍾意笑。我記得細個嗰陣，有個陌生人同我講過，見到我笑嘅時候，身邊嘅人都會覺得好開心。唔知點解呢句咁簡單嘅說話一直留咗喺我心入面，微笑亦都變成咗我嘅習慣，笑多啲，就會覺得越嚟越容易㗎喇！」