---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just…"
description: "\"“The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a first-time visitor here at Gray Holdings.”\" — Andrew Shaffer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg"
---

#  The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a…

![“The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a first-time visitor here at Gray Holdings.” quote by Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg)

> ““The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a first-time visitor here at Gray Holdings.””

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A receptionist reassures a newcomer, implying that being a first‑time visitor is normal and not alarming.

**In simple terms:** New visitors are told it’s okay to be new.

Key Takeaway

Accept being a newcomer as part of learning.

Themes

first‑time visitor reassurance workplace culture newcomer comfort

Mood

lighthearted encouraging

Type

humorous motivational

When to use this quote

- first day at a new job
- joining a club
- starting a class
- moving to a new city
- attending a conference

Key Concepts

communication psychology organizational behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “first‑time visitor” reveal about workplace expectations?
- How can you turn nervousness into curiosity?

A Different Perspective

The humor may mask deeper insecurities about belonging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“I arrive at the Gray Holdings headquarters in downtown Seattle two hours later. The building is a ginormous 175-story office building that juts into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/i-arrive-at-the-gray-holdings-headquarters-in-downtown-seattle-two/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [“We’re here to deliver preemie hats to Sharon Jennings,” Libby explained. The receptionist”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-macomber/we-re-here-to-deliver-preemie-hats-to-sharon-jennings-libby-explained/)

[Debbie Macomber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-macomber/)

> [Be good, kind, and friendly to the receptionist. She's had a hard day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-pidgeon/be-good-kind-and-friendly-to-the-receptionist-she-s-had-a-hard-day/)

[Rebecca Pidgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-pidgeon/)

> [“Receptionist also added super-breath when I offered her twenty bucks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/receptionist-also-added-super-breath-when-i-offered-her-twenty-bucks/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [I worked as a receptionist in England for a couple of years whilst I was building up my business. I decided to take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-france/i-worked-as-a-receptionist-in-england-for-a-couple-of-years-whilst-i/)

[Tan France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-france/)

> [I wonder if a receptionist at a sperm bank has ever used the phrase: 'Thanks for coming.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wonder-if-a-receptionist-at-a-sperm-bank-has-ever-used-the-phrase/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and yours may be in the hands of the receptionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/you-only-get-one-chance-to-make-a-good-first-impression-and-yours-may/)

[Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/)

> [I knew I wasn't going to make money in the beginning, so I found another way to support myself - I was a receptionist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-mcgrath/i-knew-i-wasn-t-going-to-make-money-in-the-beginning-so-i-found/)

[Pat McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-mcgrath/)

> [The receptionist looked us over, then went back to typing something incredibly urgent—like her résumé́ for another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-receptionist-looked-us-over-then-went-back-to-typing-something/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“rude, but the girl was a receptionist”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/rude-but-the-girl-was-a-receptionist/)

[J.C. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-reed/)

> [“The same beautiful receptionist greeted Christian who had met him before and she extended the same lush invitation as she had the last time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amalie-howard/the-same-beautiful-receptionist-greeted-christian-who-had-met-him/)

[Amalie Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amalie-howard/)

> [“Is this a torture chamber?" Puck asked eagerly. "Listen to all the suffering! Isn't it cool?" "This is a dental office," the receptionist explained.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buckley/is-this-a-torture-chamber-puck-asked-eagerly-listen-to-all-the/)

[Michael Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buckley/)

> [“Christ, he had GI Jane as his receptionist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/christ-he-had-gi-jane-as-his-receptionist/)

[Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/)

> [I started out as a receptionist. I typed, I filed, I answered the phones for a little nine-person company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-started-out-as-a-receptionist-i-typed-i-filed-i-answered-the-phones/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [“RECEPTIONIST LOOKED RIGHT through me as I crossed the carpeted lobby between glass-cased tanker models and clipper ship prints. I winked at her, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hjortsberg/receptionist-looked-right-through-me-as-i-crossed-the-carpeted-lobby/)

[William Hjortsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hjortsberg/)

## More by Andrew Shaffer

> [When Patrick finally broke his silence with 2008's 'Anthems For the Damned' - the first Filter album that he recorded sober - fans were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/when-patrick-finally-broke-his-silence-with-2008-s-anthems-for-the/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [“Who is this man I’m supposed to interview, this man whose last name is the same as the color of my sweatpants? Is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/who-is-this-man-i-m-supposed-to-interview-this-man-whose-last-name-is/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [“She hands me a security badge that says VIRGIN. How could she know that I’m a virgin? Is it that obvious? “How did you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/she-hands-me-a-security-badge-that-says-virgin-how-could-she-know/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [If you're looking for a behind-the-scenes rock-n-roll biography, pick up Nikki Sixx's 'The Heroin Diaries'. If you want the world's most narcissistic high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/if-you-re-looking-for-a-behind-the-scenes-rock-n-roll-biography-pick/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [“ Stop it, girl. There’s no way he’s five-years-old. Or one hundred. He’s probably like every other CEO on the planet: Late twenties, handsome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/stop-it-girl-there-s-no-way-he-s-five-years-old-or-one-hundred-he-s/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [Chicago is a city built on architecture, and there are plenty of buildings to scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/chicago-is-a-city-built-on-architecture-and-there-are-plenty-of/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [Treat haters in your online spaces just the same as you would in the real world. If they're not respectful to you and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/treat-haters-in-your-online-spaces-just-the-same-as-you-would-in-the/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [In 2009, the American Library Association recorded 460 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/in-2009-the-american-library-association-recorded-460-challenges/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [“I growl with frustration at my reflection in the mirror. Damn my hair – it’s fifty shades of fucked up. The situation I’m in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/i-growl-with-frustration-at-my-reflection-in-the-mirror-damn-my-hair/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [Young adult author Richelle Mead holds the distinction to perhaps be the only author ever to have a book banned... before it was even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/young-adult-author-richelle-mead-holds-the-distinction-to-perhaps-be/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [In their political careers, Obama and Biden faced down lobbyists, Tea Party carpetbaggers, and Washington gridlock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/in-their-political-careers-obama-and-biden-faced-down-lobbyists-tea/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [The difficult part of writing about someone you don't admire is that it's easy to demonize them. What you get then is a cackling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/the-difficult-part-of-writing-about-someone-you-don-t-admire-is-that/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [I catch Filter in Des Moines doing their soundcheck at a small club. After tearing through a few songs, they spend nearly an hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/i-catch-filter-in-des-moines-doing-their-soundcheck-at-a-small-club/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [In the White House, Obama was driven around in an armored Cadillac limo nicknamed 'The Beast.' In 'Hope Never Dies,' he blows his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/in-the-white-house-obama-was-driven-around-in-an-armored-cadillac/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [Celebrating Christmas without subscribing to Christianity is like watching the Super Bowl without watching a regular season game. Some people watch the Super Bowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/celebrating-christmas-without-subscribing-to-christianity-is-like/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

[Explore all 67 Andrew Shaffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

## More Impression quotes

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [“In the innovation age customer experience is key. Your impression defines their expression”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/in-the-innovation-age-customer-experience-is-key-your-impression/)

[Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/)

> [I have often heard that the novel is dead. But I see novels produced, I don't know how many a week, in France. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/i-have-often-heard-that-the-novel-is-dead-but-i-see-novels-produced-i/)

[Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/)

> [Cinema has become my life. I dont mean a parallel world, I mean my life itself. I sometimes have the impression that the daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-almodovar/cinema-has-become-my-life-i-dont-mean-a-parallel-world-i-mean-my-life/)

[Pedro Almodovar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-almodovar/)

> [Good history is a question of survival. Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-without-any-past-we-will/)

[Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/)

> [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/)

[Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/)

> [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced-myself-to-people-and-told/)

[Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/)

> [If we Europeans are not in a state to be able to solve the refugee crisis ourselves, if we only depend on Plan B…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/if-we-europeans-are-not-in-a-state-to-be-able-to-solve-the-refugee/)

[Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/)

> [Wayne Rooney has always made a great impression on me, even though I have only ever seen him on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabio-quagliarella/wayne-rooney-has-always-made-a-great-impression-on-me-even-though-i/)

[Fabio Quagliarella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabio-quagliarella/)

> [What an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-an-immense-impression-paris-made-upon-me-it-is-the-most/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [My movies, in general, I have the impression that when they finish of course they're never originally what you had in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-movies-in-general-i-have-the-impression-that-when-they-finish-of/)

[Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/)

> [I think it's really important that I'm not the only model in the world that goes through personal problems. People forget that we're human.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/i-think-it-s-really-important-that-i-m-not-the-only-model-in-the/)

[Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/)

> [The impossibility of separating the nomenclature of a science from the science itself, is owing to this, that every branch of physical science must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/the-impossibility-of-separating-the-nomenclature-of-a-science-from/)

[Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/)

Browse all 2,147 Impression quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a first-time visitor here at Gray Holdings.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Andrew Shaffer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-means-you-re-a-first-time/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Impression"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-means-you-re-a-first-time/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/185/andrew-shaffer-9890_impression_the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-me_3105592.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just means you’re a first-time visitor here at Gray Holdings.” — Andrew Shaffer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Andrew Shaffer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The receptionist laughs. “Relax. It just...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-means-you-re-a-first-time/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/the-receptionist-laughs-relax-it-just-means-you-re-a-first-time/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
