Receptionist

Job Description

Job Description

RECEPTIONIST  

Wilson Kester: The Empowered Divorce Source 

A Michigan family law firm. Scaling across the state.  

The Work That Matters 

The Receptionist is our Ambassador of First Impressions, acting as the first point of contact between our firm and clients, potential new clients, and our professional contacts. This role is essential to our brand, the beginning of the client journey, and the nexus that connects our departments to one another. Wilson Kester is a firm of mostly remote professionals serving clients across Michigan. Our headquarters in Traverse City is also our primary hub for in-person client interaction. What happens at this desk is what a client believes about us. 

Our mission is to revolutionize family law in Michigan through relentless dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to our core values. We empower families to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and renewal.  

Four things define success in this role. 

• At the desk. You are at the front desk every hour this office is open, to greet clients, notarize, answer the phone, and back up the legal assistants. Lunch and approved time off are covered by a named backup, arranged in advance. 

• The handoff. Answer the phone and greet consistently. Connect every call, visitor, message, and document to where it belongs, smoothly and respectfully, the first time. 

• The space. The office functions operationally every day, so that no one in another role has to stop the performance of their responsibilities to solve an office problem. 

• Department support. Give every department the support it needs so their work does not stall. 

 

This is a customer service role first and an office role second. We hire warmth, composure, and follow-through, and we teach the rest.  

What You'll Own 

1. Telephone Calls, Walk-Ins, Messages. Answer and greet consistently. Leave a visitor feeling attended to rather than processed. 

2. Client Requests. Connect current clients with their assigned legal team and make accurate notes of all client messages if the legal team is not available to accept transfer of the call, email the legal team the details of the time, message, and observations of the client (tone), and inform the CEO the same day. Never argue with a client and never absorb a complaint quietly. 

3. Door coverage and security. Charge the doorbell transmitter and receivers on weekends and set them up and confirm they are on each Monday. Grant admittance as directed in the Reception and Coverage Standard during lunch, paid time off, and any other absence. Follow the Opening and Closing Procedures every day. 

4. Confidentiality. Keep everything confidential about all client matters and firm business, and handle sensitive family law papers with care, logging them and directing them to the Administrative legal assistants upon receipt. 

5. Mail and deliveries. Receive all incoming mail, correspondence, deliveries, and legal documents.

6. Client documents. Handle the transfer, signing, notarizing, working with the legal assistants and paralegals to prepare for document-related visits.

7. Notarial services, in person. Hold or obtain a Michigan notary commission and notarize documents in person for firm clients and the legal team, under the firm’s Notary Coverage and Compliance Standard.

8. Meeting rooms. Take reservation requests from staff and block them on the calendar, capturing the purpose, the duration, the attendees, whether Zoom is needed, and whether a client signing or notarization is happening.

9. Lobby and client-facing areas. Keep the lobby, waiting room, and conference rooms wiped, organized, and professional. Refill the snack and coffee station. 

10. Kitchen and trash. Keep kitchen and bathrooms stocked and tidy. 

11. Supplies. Order office, reception, kitchen, bathroom, cleaning, and maintenance supplies using the Supply Order Log, and update the log after every order.

12. Vendors. Be the point of contact for firm vendors and approved service providers: landscaping, snow removal, water delivery, document shredding, HVAC, and cleaning.

13. Facilities upkeep. Adjust the two reception-desk thermostats by season, and check and replace furnace filters. Water, trim, rotate, and repot the office plants.

14. All Hands Wednesday Huddle. The all-hands huddle is held every Wednesday, 8:15 to 8:45 a.m., and it starts on time. You own everything around it, on this clock. Monday morning, send the call for content to the team and remind the department head whose week it is to lead the huddle.

15. Recognition. Keep the calendar of employee birthdays and anniversaries. Prepare cards for birthdays, anniversaries, hirings, and departures, circulate them for signing, and get them delivered on time.

16. Technology use. Have proficiency on how to operate the multi-line phone system, the case management system, and the firm’s client relationship system.

What's On the Table 

• Pay Rate: $20 - $24 an hour depending on experience. 

• Full Time: M-F 8am to 5pm work schedule in the Traverse City office. 

• Insured benefits start on day one: Health, Dental, Vision, and Short-Term Disability. 

• Paid Time Off: Three weeks of PTO + Nine paid Holidays 

• Retirement: 401(K) with automatic 3% employer contribution

Who You Are 

• Genuinely warm, empathetic and possess a helping mentality. 

• General office equipment skills: MS365 suite, copiers, multi-line phone system.

• Presents a professional image in appearance, language and conduct. 

• Strong ethical standards – confidentiality is an absolute must. 

• Is a Notary, or can become a Notary 

• Motivated to learn and improve upon current office procedures. 

• Close visual acuity for tasks like preparing and analyzing data, transcribing, viewing a computer screen, and extensive reading. 

• Ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards, and to wear a headset, listen to callers, and type at the same time. 

• Walking short distances and occasional driving. 

• Lifting and carrying small parcels and packages. 

• Standing, walking, and sitting. 

• Stooping, kneeling, bending, and crouching (lifting up to 25 pounds). Part of the position requires putting away office supplies, which may involve picking up, stacking, and moving boxes, bins, and files. 

• Outdoor tasks in season, including taking trash bins to the street and clearing walkways after snowfall. 

Affirmative Action / EEO Statement  

Wilson Kester is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.