The Office: Who Was The Best Receptionist? According To Reddit

At the start of The Office, Pam Beesley was said to have been working there for at least three years as the Scranton branch’s receptionist. Before leaving her position, there were a few faces that took her place on occasion.

When Pam left Dunder Mifflin to join the Michael Scott Paper Company, Erin Hannon took her place and remained the receptionist until the series ended. And while Pam and Erin are predominantly known as the receptionists of Dunder Mifflin, Kevin, Ryan, and Ronni, and Andy all took a stab at working as a secretary. However, while they didn’t have as many memorable moments as Pam and Erin, many fans on Reddit have made sure that these characters’ tenures as Dunder Mifflin’s receptionists aren’t forgotten.

One Of Kevin’s Best Moments

As an accountant, Kevin was not great at his job. In fact, it confused fans why every Regional Manager kept him a part of the office for so long. It’s assumed they only kept him as an employee because they all became a work family and firing him felt personal. 

Nevertheless, Kevin did take a stab at being a receptionist for the day. As the cameras rolled, viewers saw how bad of a secretary he was, but his actions were too silly not to laugh at. As Reddit u/BubblePins told the site, his time as Dunder Mifflin’s secretary brought out the “best Kevin moments” because fans could see him try really hard to get the job right, however, they just couldn’t stop laughing at him making a few errors.

Pam Knew How To Handle Michael

Pam was one of the greatest receptionists because she knew how to handle Michael. As a secretary, her only job wasn’t answering phones, faxes, and emails. She also had the hard task of keeping tabs on Michael and making sure he didn’t do anything too outlandish to tarnish the branch or the office. Overall, Pam did nice things for Michael for the sake of their branch.

Reddit u/HeilYeah agreed that Pam was “probably” better than Erin because “She seemed relatively focused when she wasn’t wrapped up in whatever Jim or Michael was doing.” Pam had been working front reception for years, so when she wasn’t wrapped up in pranks or hijinks, she focused on her job.

An Underrated Popular Mention: The Sabre Receptionist

Although the Scranton branch has a few beloved characters as receptionists, Reddit agreed another receptionist outshined those at the Scranton branch: the unnamed secretary at Sabre’s headquarters in ‘Trivia.’

Reddit u/xZombieTagx wrote, “She is absolutely the best-unnamed character in the series.” The OP noted that her charisma and dedication to her job made her a great character and even better receptionist. She greeted Dwight with open arms and was genuinely interested in Dwight’s words for the company. Sadly, she wasn’t shown after this episode, but she made Sabre look like a great company to work for.

Was Ronni Better Than Erin?

When Pam left the Scranton branch for a few weeks to go to art school, Michael hired a short-term receptionist named Ronni to take her place. Jim had a hard time getting used to Ronni, as did Michael. They were so used to having Pam around that someone else in her seat felt wrong.

Ronni was only in a few episodes but Reddit u/007Pistolero wrote, “I always preferred Ronni to Erin.” It was clear that Michael and the rest of the branch weren’t used to Ronni after having Pam for so long. And even Erin’s sweetest moments made it hard to accept Ronni. Michael also hated that Ronni didn’t always know where things were. However, there are a few Reddit fans who found her scenes humorous. 

Erin’s Personality Made The Office Cheery

Erin and Pam may have had the same job but they were totally different characters with unique strengths and weaknesses. Reddit u/HalfAgony_HalfHope wrote, “[Erin] was a better receptionist than Pam.” They continued saying, “She was thrilled to do the work, loved having her own desk, and supported the boss unequivocally. Pam is a fantastic character and I love her to death, but to her, the receptionist job represented settling for less than she wanted in life.”

Pam always wanted more for her life but didn’t have the courage to do anything until she and Jim were finally together. Erin, on the other hand, was satisfied with her role as receptionist and would have loved to have stayed there for the years to come. 

Reddit Liked Kevin Out Of Humor

As endearing and sweet as Kevin was, he was not a great accountant or receptionist. One of his few shining moments as a Dunder Mifflin employee that created relatable quotes was when Kevin correctly did the math using pies as figures. Nevertheless, it was because he did such a bad job as a receptionist that Reddit fans liked him.

Reddit u/Dansan7 ranked the receptionists by power and insisted that “Kevin” was above Pam, Erin, Ryan, and more. Another Redditor also believed that Kevin was a better receptionist than “Ronni” and “Erin.”

Andy Was In His Element

In the episode ‘Tallahassee,’ Andy took over as the office secretary because Pam refused. Pam knew if she sat at reception, it would be hard for her colleagues to see her as anything but that. 

Andy seemed annoyed at the task at first but he soon grew to love reception. Andy was a great guy for taking the position when no one else wanted to. Reddit u/Bigredgiant agreed that Andy as a receptionist was his “element.” They continued saying, “He was so good at it! He was happy and creative and cheered up the whole office.” Andy made snacks, hung up a positive quote, and was genuinely excited on the phone. Even though he was new at it, Andy was a great receptionist. 

Ryan’s “Hot” Appearance

There were two occasions where Ryan was at the front reception for a short time. In one episode he was covering for Pam, and in another episode, he filled in for reception after his stint in jail. Reddit joked that he was one of the best secretaries because of how “hot” he was. This is a play on the fact that Michael found Ryan to be the “hottest in the office.”

Reddit u/2Cream0Sugar wrote on Reddit, “I think we can all agree who the hottest receptionist of the series was” and shared a photo of Ryan. Knowing that Ryan didn’t work hard at anything unless it was his own project, he probably wasn’t as great as a receptionist as others.

Pam’s Work Ethic

When it comes down to the two receptionists who have had the role the longest, Reddit u/Grumpycat_95 thinks Pam is the best receptionist at Dunder Mifflin. “I think Pam had the best work ethic for the job, but Erin had the best personality for it.” 

Between the two women, Pam was more competent and understood more of the role. And while Pam quit the role, she perfected it for years. Erin, however, was more confused. Andy and Robert California even questioned her role during ‘Spooked’ when she had to put together an office Halloween party. 

Andy Was A Better Receptionist Than Pam

Even though Andy was only a receptionist for a day or so, fans of the show couldn’t help but praise him for his efforts. His quotes during this time were funny and he showed a real passion for it.