A professional reception area is a quality sorely lacking from a lot of businesses these days. What used to be a key tradition in the corporate landscape now feels like an afterthought, where a desk has just been shoddily pushed into the corner. The receptionist working the desk might not even be there half the time either!
None of that presents a proper professional image. And if you’ve got a handle on your back office operations – now it’s time to focus on your front of house presentation. So to make sure you do have the kind of reception area that will immediately impress your business’ visitors, here’s what you need to think about.
Brand Your Reception
No reception area should be a white box with little to nothing to look at. It should be the number one place where you focus your branding efforts. From lighting to signage to the little touches that all speak your language, make sure this area has it all.
For one, you’re going to need your brand name illuminated as boldly as possible. Usually this is best put on the wall behind the desk, so any visitors can immediately see they’re in the right place.
Think about the color palette of your reception area as well, and don’t forget about the kind of information your visitors will need to know.
Run an Easy Check in System
It’s good to have a receptionist behind the desk, as face to face human interaction is the best way to impress someone who’s come in for a meeting or interview.
But you should also have an access control system in place that lets your visitors check in quickly and easily. They just need to tap a few details into the screen, or scan the badge they’ve been handed, and they’re in.
This way, not only does the check in process feel seamless, but you know that only the right, authorised people are on site at any time.
Make the Wait as Comfortable as Possible
You don’t want your visitors waiting too long – that simply isn’t professional in the slightest. No matter who they are, or what you’re doing, try not to make someone wait more than 10 minutes before you come and greet them. Being late is never a good look!
But while someone is waiting, they should be comfortable. So, your reception area needs to take this to the max.
Make sure there’s plenty of seating, refreshments available, and the space has a calm ambience to it. If need be, use air fresheners to help set the atmosphere, as well as unintrusive music playing quietly in the background.
When you have a professional reception area, you set a good impression from the get go. Your visitors haven’t even met you yet, but they already know you’re the type of person they want to do business with. All in all, don’t let your reception be an afterthought. Use it to impress everyone who comes in.
