Reception

This is something I see twice a day, offering a 'Morning' or a 'Night' and a wave to the person behind the desk. The importance of the person is often understated and even undervalued. There may be a thousand people in the building, but that one person behind the desk, also on the phones, is one of the most important. The face of the company, the first face you'll see in your time as a student or in your career as a staff member.

These days we'll probably use the word 'reception' more in a mobile phone context - having no or good reception being on occasion critical. That same principle applies to the physical building or office reception. Nothing or no-one there and we can feel quite lost. We'll figure it out of course, but having the person, that warm personality and friendly face, makes quite a difference.