Job title: Receptionist

Contract: Permanent, full-time.

Hours: 10.00am to 6.00pm: 35 hours per week. Flexibility around start & finishing hours will be required.
You are required to cover the evening mobile phone for the mobile clinic services 2 nights weekly.

Salary: Circa €28,000 gross pa (plus allowance for mobile phone cover, circa €800 gross pa).

Location: Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 EY92.

About The Irish Blue Cross

The Irish Blue Cross is a long-established Dublin based animal welfare charity.

Our mission is to offer affordable veterinary care to eligible owners, promote welfare and responsible pet ownership and to alleviate the suffering of animals.

About the role

Reporting to and working closely with our Head of Veterinary Service, you will be responsible for the front-of-house and day-to-day reception duties and responsibilities at our Inchicore Clinic. You will work with the team in ensuring that as many pets as possible receive the benefit of our services through organising a busy appointments system and responding to a high volume of calls for our service, which targets eligible clients.

About you

You will have the skills and experience required to join our fast-paced veterinary clinic or have a keen interest in progressing your career in this area. As receptionist, you are the first point of contact for our clients. You will be professional, hard-working, diligent, and conscientious and have excellent organisational and interpersonal skills.

You will have a positive, flexible, empathetic, and caring approach towards The Irish Blue Cross, its teams, clients, and their pets.

Daily Responsibilities and Duties:

• Handle and sort incoming post.
• Ensure reception is always attended, including organising break cover.
• Answer incoming calls. Check the voicemail frequently to ensure all clients are called back promptly, and that other messages are directed to the appropriate people within the organisation.
• Check incoming reception emails frequently and ensure all emails are forwarded to the correct department/person or are responded to in a timely manner.
• Register clients in line with the Charity’s client registration process, eligibility and data protection requirements.
• Book patient appointments optimising the available consultation slots.
• Issue appointment reminders to all clients. Confirm all surgical appointments for the following day and week, give an estimate of cost for the procedure. Ensure clients are aware of fasting requirements for their pets.
• Check-in clients on arrival, re-check their eligibility and update as required on the Teleos data base system.
• Ensure clients sign all relevant forms required for their pets’ procedures at check-in.
• Advise clients whose pets have had surgery when to collect their pets.
• Manage incoming medication orders to ensure these are prepared by the nurses and left for collection.
• Handle electronic and cash payments, inputting amounts into the Teleos client database.
• Adhere to cash handling procedures in the designated CCTV reception area, correctly counting, recording and ensuring all amounts balance and receipts are issued as required.
• Maintain a clean, tidy and fresh reception/waiting area and ensure bins are emptied. Check toilets regularly to ensure they are in order and fully stocked. Be vigilant and clean any accidents or spillages as promptly as possible, using appropriate warning signs when required.
• Ensure there is sufficient stock of cleaning, and any other products required. Notify the person who places the orders if items are running low.
• Direct medical, waste collection and other suppliers to deliver/collect from designated areas within the premises. Handle any queries and follow-up in relation to these services.
• Promptly notify the appropriate departments of deliveries, to ensure they are handled:
  •  e.g. nurses when medical orders arrive to ensure appropriate medicines are unpacked and placed in cold storge
  •  fundraising, stationery etc.,
• Ensure an effective and clear handover of information for the receptionist on duty the following day.
• Retrieve history records for clients as required, in line with data protection/GDPR procedures.
• Communicate infectious diseases procedures to clients ringing in with pets suspected of cases, e.g., parvo, kennel cough etc. and follow all necessary protocols on presentation of these cases.
• Ensure effective and accurate flow of information from reception to the members of the veterinary team.

Core Responsibilities and Duties as Team Member:

• Communicate professionally at all times with staff and clients.
• Work closely with the veterinary and administration team to deliver the best possible customer service to clients. Work as part of a team to support other staff in their roles.
• Follow in-house procedures regarding complaints or any escalating issues either on the phone or in person.
• Work with the veterinary team to educate clients on responsible pet ownership.
• Make sure to only provide non-veterinary based advice or assistance to clients.
• Adhere at all times to our codes of practice on health and safety, hygiene, reporting incidents, confidentiality, and data protection.
• Strict adherence to clinic hazardous material protocols.
• Undertake induction and training for the role, as provided by the team.
• Attend Health & Safety, Data Protection, and other relevant training sessions.

Other Duties:

• Assist with mobile clinic duties on occasion, including but not limited to cleaning and stocking the mobile clinics, counting the cash from the previous night’s mobile clinic, compiling statistics etc.
• Answer the mobile clinic mobile phone 2 evenings per week, on a shared basis with another.
• Assist clinical staff in Inchicore with daily laundry, cleaning, etc.
• Assist and support management, staff, and volunteers in achieving the overall aims of the charity.
• Ensure neat and appropriate stock storage and assist with periodic stock takes.
• Report any broken or damaged equipment to management.
• Report any problems that may arise in relation to reception or front-of-house that could impact on personal safety and security.

The above list is non exhaustive.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• Experience working in a reception environment.
• Relevant QQI/FETAC course.
• Good communication skills both oral and written, which are essential for dealing with clients and working in a team.
• Good computer skills with a high level of data entry accuracy.
• Good time management skills with the ability to work to deadlines in a fast-paced environment and ability to organise and prioritise a workload.
• Ability to use initiative.
• Good attention to detail.
• Excellent work ethic and willingness to learn.
• Friendly manner, excellent telephone manner and commitment to providing excellent customer service with a professional and ethical approach.
• Ability to follow directions and comply with Health & Safety and Security & Insurance requirements and protocols.
• An ability to learn and understand medical terminology and procedures.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience working in a veterinary setting.
• Experience with cash handling procedures.

Our benefits:

• Training allowance
• 20 annual leave days (plus 5 discretionary company days)
• Canteen facilities
• Free car parking
• Bike to work scheme
• EAP
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• Annual Reviews
• Option to enter The Irish Blue Cross Staff Pension Scheme after one year. Employer contribution 6% of gross salary pa and employee contribution minimum 5% of gross

How to apply

Please submit your CV with a covering letter highlighting your relevant skills and experience and why this position is suited to you.
Email the COO: mary.flood@bluecross.ie

We will be considering applications as we receive them. 

Our Core Values and What They Mean

• Integrity. We act in an ethical, transparent, and honourable way.
• Dynamic. We are ambitious and optimistic, striving for success.
• Responsible. We are proud of our professionalism and hold ourselves accountable for the work we do.
• Fair and Reasonable. We aim to be consistent and treat everyone equally.
• Compassionate. We believe in showing respect and kindness and we aim to be supportive and caring in all that we do.

The Irish Blue Cross is an Equal Opportunities Employer