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Receptionist cover letter example

A receptionist is the first person patients and clients meet, so practice managers read your letter for warmth, organisation and care with private information. This example is from the same receptionist as our CV example, moving to a senior role at a health centre, and it only uses facts from her CV.

Goes with Angela Reyes's Receptionist CV · Checked

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The letter

What each paragraph is doing.

Angela Reyes is made up, and so is Pūriri Health Centre, Stoke. Every fact in the letter comes from Angela's CV, the way a real one should: nothing new, just the parts of the CV this job cares about most.

Angela Reyes

Nelson · 021 555 0119 · angela.reyes@email.com

Claire Donovan, Practice Manager

Pūriri Health Centre, Stoke

Re: Senior Receptionist

Dear Claire,

I'd like to apply for the Senior Receptionist role at Pūriri Health Centre. I have seven years on busy front desks in dental and physiotherapy practices, and at Kōwhai Dental I welcome up to 60 patients a day and answer around 80 calls across four dentists and two hygienists.

Keeping a practice on time comes down to a well-run appointment book, and that is where I make the most difference. I fill late cancellations from a waitlist, which has cut empty chair time by about a third, and I send recall reminders by text and email that have lifted the number of patients booking their six-monthly check. I also take payments, set up payment plans and follow up overdue accounts politely and on time, and I keep patient records accurate and private under the practice's privacy process.

Before Kōwhai Dental I spent three years at Hoiho Physiotherapy in Richmond, booking for five physiotherapists and checking ACC claim details at booking, which reduced rejected invoices. A larger health centre would let me use that ACC experience every day, and I handle upset patients calmly, which matters on a busy front desk.

I hold the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Administration and Technology) (Level 3), I'm confident with Microsoft 365 and practice management software, and I speak English and Tagalog. I'd be glad to meet and talk about the role.

Kind regards,

Angela Reyes

  1. 1Opens with the job and the proofIt names the role, then shows the size of the desk she runs now, so the practice manager can see she's used to a busy day.
  2. 2Shows results, not just dutiesLess empty chair time and more patients booking their checks are results a practice manager cares about, and the privacy line shows she can be trusted with records.
  3. 3Links past experience to the new jobACC paperwork is a big part of health centre work, so her physiotherapy experience gives a clear reason she fits and wants the move.
  4. 4Covers skills and closes simplyHer qualification, software and languages round out the picture, and a plain offer to meet ends the letter without pressure.

Opening lines

Other ways to open.

The first line decides whether the rest gets read. Each of these names the job and leads with proof. Swap in your own facts.

  • “I'd like to apply for your Receptionist role, bringing seven years on busy front desks in dental and physiotherapy practices.”
  • “I currently welcome up to 60 patients a day and answer around 80 calls at a dental practice, and I'm applying for your Front of House Receptionist position.”
  • “As a receptionist who cut empty chair time by about a third by filling late cancellations from a waitlist, I'm applying for your Practice Receptionist role.”
  • “I'm applying for the Receptionist and Administrator role at your clinic, with three years of booking for five physiotherapists and checking ACC claim details.”
  • “Having completed the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Administration and Technology) (Level 3), I'm applying for the Medical Receptionist role at your practice.”

Common mistakes

What gets receptionist letters skipped.

  • Describing yourself as friendly and organised and stopping there.

    Show it with results, like filling cancellations from a waitlist or lifting the number of patients who book their checks.

  • Leaving out privacy.

    Say how you keep records accurate and private. Health practices must follow the Health Information Privacy Code, so managers look for this.

  • Not naming the systems you use.

    Mention booking and practice management software, Microsoft 365 and invoicing. It shows you'll pick up their systems quickly.

Write yours

A letter like this, for every job ad.

Paste a receptionist job ad into SmartCVs and it writes your cover letter alongside your tailored CV. The free plan gives you 3 job scans a week, each with both.

How cover letters work in SmartCVs
  • Written in the same step as your tailored CV, from your profile and the job ad
  • Three or four paragraphs, in plain, professional language
  • Every fact from your profile: a number your profile doesn't have is dropped before you see it
  • Edit any line, copy it into an application, or download PDF or Word

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Do receptionists need a cover letter?

Yes. Writing clearly and professionally is part of the job, so your letter is also a sample of your work.

Should I mention ACC experience?

Yes, for health, physiotherapy and medical roles. Getting ACC details right at booking saves the practice time and rejected invoices.

Can I move from a dental practice to a medical centre?

Yes. Booking, recalls, payments and privacy all carry over. Point to those skills and say you're ready to learn their system.

More cover letter examples

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