You must go above and beyond if you want an office with a waiting room that stands out. Set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry by giving your clients and customers a satisfactory place to wait. The appearance of your waiting room will influence what your customer thinks of your company; this is reason enough to prioritize the look and feel of your waiting room area.
Although it’s common sense that your clients and customers will form a lasting impression by the look of the initial space they walk into (that being the waiting room), many companies overlook this fact. This is easy to do when business operations and daily tasks take up the most energy. Still, if a business is lacking in this way, clients and customers notice.
Don’t let your customers think poorly of you due to a neglected waiting room area. Take time and effort to make the space welcoming and accommodating so your clients and customers feel supported with waiting room chairs with arms and the other essentials they’ll need. For more information on what your office waiting room needs, continue reading.
Add a beverage and snack station
Keep your customers comfortable by providing refreshments near the waiting room chairs. Include an espresso maker or instant coffee machine, water, tea, and other drinks that reflect the standards of your business. If you’re running a corporate entity, alcoholic beverages may not be appropriate.
However, sparkling drinks may make sense if you’re running a hair salon. Keep plastic cups or mugs for beverages and a station to leave used mugs behind. Your clients and customers will appreciate the cleanliness you go out of your way to provide for the waiting room area.
Use your best judgment to supply the beverages that make sense for your establishment. You might include healthy snacks like granola bars, fruit cups, and pretzels. Make sure to purchase prepackaged items and provide a waste basket for guests to dispose of their snack wrappers.
Supply the room with comfortable waiting room chairs
Go the extra mile and make your waiting room stand out with comfortable waiting room chairs. Businesses often choose cheap, bulk-price waiting room chairs to fill their waiting rooms for less, but you do not have to go this route. To please your guests, ensure they’re comfortable by getting supportive and comfortable waiting room chairs. The slightest difference between waiting room chairs that are comfortable and those that are less supportive makes all the difference.
Maintain an updated magazine rack
Keep your clients occupied in their waiting room chairs by providing them with an updated magazine rack full of contemporary magazine issues. If your guests see that the featured magazines are of recent issues, they’ll be more inclined to read them. Many people assume that waiting room magazines are outdated or worn from rereading. Keeping your magazine station updated will be a fresh turn of events for many who assume the reading materials in most waiting rooms are subpar.
Get central air conditioning, such as temperature-regulated A/C
Keeping your waiting room cool is integral to ensuring that your clients and guests stay comfortable. When waiting rooms get crowded, it is easy for a space to become overheated. Ensure your waiting room has central air conditioning so your guests stay cool as they unwind in their waiting room chairs. Temperature regulating air conditioning is another consideration, as this will ensure that the temperature only goes to a preset temperature. In this way, you can ensure that your guests never get too cold, and that the temperature regulates itself so that the room is always comfortable.
Include a flat-screen television for music and entertainment
For those waiting with children or who have an extended wait time, flat-screen televisions can make the time spent in the waiting room go by much faster. Supply your waiting room area with a flat-screen television and, if desired, remote access by guests. For those who intend on keeping a calm and serene environment, music can be played on these TVs for a consistent sound that calms the waiting environment for everyone.
Form an attentive front desk area
For guests that need to fill out forms or have their questions answered, ensure a front desk area is available with staff available to assist. Clients and customers are more likely to return when they feel their needs are promptly met. Having an active, present front desk staff available makes it easier for guests to address concerns while they wait. Ensure that the front desk can keep all paperwork organized so that staff can quickly find what they need to address questions from customers promptly.
Have the location near the closest public restroom
Your office waiting room is the first place guests will arrive and make an impression of your business. For the best possible outcomes, supply your waiting room with what it needs to be well-received by your guests. For example, ensure the waiting room is located near an accessible public restroom so guests do not feel inconvenienced by a long walk to the restroom. Leave a note in an easily spotted space in the waiting room that explains where the restroom is and how to access it if a key is required.
Include a children’s play area
For guests with children, ensure that the waiting room contains a children’s play area with games, toys, and soft mats or additional waiting room chairs for sitting on. Your guests will appreciate not having to occupy their kids the entire time they’re in the waiting room. Keep this area clean and wipe down all surfaces at the end of every workday.
Make your office waiting area a pleasant experience for your guests
Consider the above suggestions and apply them to your type of business as needed. Ensuring that the basic needs of your guests are tended to (waiting room chairs, food, water, entertainment) will set your business up for success and ensure that every person is comfortable during their time spent in the waiting area.
