Cathrin Hürlimann, Switchboard Operator/Receptionist

Cathrin Hürlimann was born in 1962. She has worked in reception for VISCHER Basel (formerly Christ Löw Brückner and Staehelin) since 1992. Before that Cathrin Hürlimann worked in sales and radio.

What are your duties at VISCHER?

We receive clients and answer the phone. We also do a large number of other things. For example, we make reservations for business trips or do Internet searches. I am also happy to help with minor computer problems so that our computer department is not bothered with every little thing. We are familiar with almost every nook and cranny in the office and know where things are kept. And we are probably the only ones who know the entire staff, since we maintain the address and telephone lists – no easy thing with 100 employees at the Basel office!

So being a receptionist means more than greeting guests and making coffee?

Absolutely. We have a quite diverse set of responsibilities, and, to a certain extent, we are "jacks-of-all trades". Moreover, we are the link between the office and the outside world. Working in the service sector is a good background for reception work. There, as in reception for a law firm, you encounter people in all situations – not only the pleasant ones. We also have to maintain our composure in critical situations, and we cannot take it personally if we have to deal with unpleasant phone calls. But the vast majority of VISCHER's clients are very friendly and accommodating, and they often have time for a little "chat" too.

Why do you like this job?

I like human contact and enjoy being a service-provider. I would like to give our clients the feeling that they are welcome here, to let them feel comfortable and in good hands – after all, not everyone enjoys consulting an attorney. I am also a person with many interests who likes to learn and get to know many different things. In that sense the varied work in reception and the contact with clients suits me very well.

VISCHER in three words?

Reliable, respectable, generous.