Of course, tournaments were not so common in Medieval Europe that heralds could spend all their time administrating them. While not at tournaments the knights and lords by whom heralds were employed would find other uses for them in their households often to make announcements and proclamations and serve as masters-of-ceremonies. One account tells us about heralds who were used as human alarm clocks to rouse their households in the morning to call them to church on time.

(Wagner, Anthony. Heralds of England. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967. p41.)
Here is a herald sitting at his writing desk.