Your reception area is an important part of the office. It’s often the first thing customers and visitors see, so it sets the tone for the entire building. If you have important visitors coming, then you may be thinking of sprucing up the area and adding some new features, and here are some things that make your reception more professional and welcoming.
- A seating area
You don’t want to keep people waiting in reception a long time, but this isn’t always avoidable. That’s why you should have some comfortable seats where people can sit, relax and prepare for their meeting or wait to be served. This will ensure people feel welcomed and not like an inconvenience.
- Some items related to your business
If you want visitors to know a little more about your business, you could add details to your reception such as:
- Photos of staff members
- Awards
- Industry magazines
- Samples of your products
- Artwork related to your business
This personalises your reception area and gives clients an idea of who you are. When you visit some offices, you feel like you could be anywhere, so it’s nice to have these personal touches.
- A receptionist
Even if you don’t have a full-time receptionist, if you’re expecting important guests, you should put someone on reception duty. It’s important to greet guests and tell them where they should go, and the human touch is often preferable to using an entry system.
- Refreshments
People will often show up at your reception having driven a long way, or even just stepped off a flight. That means they’ll often need some quick refreshments, whether it’s water or a snack, before they head into a meeting. You may want to consider adding a refreshment station with water and a coffee machine so people can help themselves.
- Information screens
If you regularly have long queues at reception, or you have lots of people coming in asking the same questions, then you may want to consider digital screen installation. This is becoming more popular in reception areas of hotels, healthcare facilities and similar locations, where people simply need to check in or get some quick information. It can save you money, as you don’t need to have several receptionists on duty, just one who can deal with more complex queries.
- A TV screen
Another option to consider to help people pass the time is to put in a TV screen, perhaps showing a short video about your business or similar information. If you visit certain stores nowadays, you see video screens when you are queuing, showing adverts and local info, so why not make something relevant to your clients? This can be more interesting than simply having a few magazines around.
Your reception area is one of the most important places in the building, so it’s important to make it as welcoming as you can. This will ensure people get a great first impression when they visit and are in the right frame of mind.
