How you welcome visitors to your reception will play a massive part in ensuring a good first impression. A less-than-positive experience upon entering your premises can instantly put you on the wrong foot and leave you scrambling to rectify negative experiences. This could potentially lead to lost business opportunities and a tarnished reputation.
Reports suggest you have seven seconds to make a good first impression, but in reality, it is likely much less time, and for many people, it can be almost instantly. When designing your reception area, you need to be acutely aware of how it appears to visitors and the immediate visual impact it makes. This is crucial to avoid losing clients, customers or patients depending on your business.
So, how exactly do you make your reception area more welcoming and make a good first impression?
Start Outside
It can be easy to neglect the external areas of your property when overhauling the interior, but when thinking about first impressions, you need to start outside. This means assessing how the front of the building looks to those visiting you. Is the entranceway clear and easy to navigate? Is it in a good state of repair? Is it accessible? Is your car park clear with plenty of parking and good lighting and is the whole area, including the building and external walls, clean and representative of what people can expect when they walk through your door? If the answer is no, it’s worth investing in improving this before revamping your interior reception area.
Clear Entryway
The last thing you want is for people to have to navigate obstacles upon entering your building. You want a nice, clear and easy-to-navigate doorway with only essential equipment nearby, e.g., a push button for assistance opening doors or handrails for slopes, etc. The easier it is to gain access, the better an impression you will make. So when designing your reception area, make sure you factor in space around your doorway and you don’t overload the space people walk into and the immediate pathway through reception, i.e. no units or shelving and seating arrangements within a few steps that people need to walk around.
Well-placed Reception Desk
Your reception desk needs to be visible as the main point of contact without people having it look too far to find out where to go. Ideally, it will be placed to the side of or in front of the door so people can see it instantly. It needs to be in a place that doesn’t disrupt the flow of traffic from the front door through to any office spaces or require people to go out of their way to access the desk. It doesn’t necessarily need to be against a wall; you can place a circular desk in the centre of your reception so people can easily migrate towards it. But it should always be staffed and have a space where people can easily access your staff and converse with them with no barriers, i.e. lower than the sides so they can lean on it to fill in paperwork or make payments etc, and it leaves a space for face to face contact with your reception team.
Good Lighting
The last thing people want is to walk into a poorly lit space and struggle to see where they need to go or read any information you might require of them to have prior to their appointment or meetings, e.g. filling in insurance forms in medical practice. The type of lighting you use can be matched to create the aesthetics and vibe you’re trying to create but avoids dim and poorly lit spaces. Instead, use bright white or natural light to flood the space, and use wall lights or lamps in areas that might otherwise be darker than you would like to add extra illumination.
Plants
Plants instantly make people feel better and have a way of elevating any space they’re added to. Utilising plants and greenery, both real and artificial, can help you add to your aesthetics and create a warm, welcoming vibe that is attractive to everyone and can help you build that good first impression. One innovative way to incorporate plants is by creating a ‘living wall ‘, which is a vertical garden that can improve air quality, reduce noise, and enhance the overall ambience of your reception area. Choose low-maintenance plants for busy areas or use a B2B service that can come and tend to your green displays and ensure they are healthy and thriving; this can be useful if you’re looking at creating a living wall or incorporating a plant and water display for your reception area!
Creating a good first impression with your reception area can help you to build a good reputation and put everyone who enters your building at ease for smoother meetings appointments and improved sales. A well-designed reception area can enhance customer satisfaction, increase the likelihood of repeat business, and even attract new clients. Carry this welcoming vibe throughout the rest of the interior areas of your business and this can help form an integral part of your success.
Ritik Singh
Admin
Sarah Williams
Rachita Kotian