Reception Area
“Your workplace reception area is your face to the world. It’s a place where impressions are created and expectations are formed, so it stands to reason that this is a part of your office that needs some attention. How to create a great first impression with your office reception area. More than just a holding room where people wait before a meeting, this should be a space that creates an experience for visitors and clients alike, and if you are refreshing or designing a reception area for your business you need to think about what that experience looks like.”
1. A place to relax
Your workplace reception area should make people feel comfortable and at ease. Whether your visitor is a potential new employee or a client, if they feel relaxed you will have better meetings and create a positive first impression. Having comfortable seating is a must – but make sure your choices are durable, as they will quickly look tired in a high volume area like a reception.
Offer visitors a drink when they arrive, or simply provide a coffee machine and water cooler for people to help themselves. Think about other elements that create a sense of wellbeing. Do you have access to natural light that you can emphasize or could you use plants (real ones!) to create a nicer ambiance?
2. Tell a story
Your reception area is the perfect place to tell people about your brand; communicate your brand identity, your values, what you’ve achieved. You can do this through subtle branding or quite literally with corporate literature on the coffee tables and awards and accolades on the walls.
A more memorable way to communicate to your visitors is through large-screen displays that can be regularly updated to display what information is current and relevant. Video walls are also a great way to add impact to your space.
3. Maximise Efficiencies
Nobody likes to be waiting around to be signed in when you have places to go and people to see, so make sure your meet and greet procedures are as efficient as possible. Do you have enough receptionists? Do you even need receptionists?
A visitor booking-in system may provide you with the flexibility to manage busy periods or to negate the need for a receptionist all together. Think about how your resources and your visitors’ time should be used most efficiently.
4. An office away from the office
Providing something simple like Wi-Fi can make a massive difference to your visitors’ experience. But by providing connectivity you also open the opportunity for people to work from the reception area.
Businesses are continually looking for more flexible ways to use their office space and a connected reception provides an ideal spot for an informal meeting or for people to get away from their desks.
Advances in technology mean you can now go that extra step further and provide interactive touch-tables where visitors can peruse the internet or company information. If your reception area is designed with flexibility in mind, you can move furniture around so these touch-tables can become a focal point for a meeting or collaboration session.
5. Moving on
For many visitors, their next stop is a meeting room. Ensure the transition from reception to the meeting room is seamless, with a room booking manager display located in the reception area, detailing real-time information on what rooms are free and which rooms are busy. No more awkward moments trying to find a meeting room with your visitors or wasting time moving around from room to room.
Think about what kind of experience you want to create for your visitors.
What do you want them to think and what kind of first impression do you want to make with your reception area?
Once you have an idea of what you want to create, then you can start to find ways to deliver that.
If you need any help and advice on how technology can help you to create a memorable office reception area, then give us a call at ADV Communications to discuss your requirement’s