Why your office reception furniture matters for your business

The reception area is the first part of your office that any client, investor or potential employee will see. It is said that first impressions are the most lasting, so it is essential that the reception area casts your business in a good light. How do you choose the right reception furniture and décor for your workplace?

First impressions

Visitors will form an opinion about your business quickly based on the look and ambience of your offices. Your entrance area should reflect your company culture and be in keeping with the rest of your workplace. The impression you want to make will depend on your business and will dictate the type of reception furniture you choose; think about the differences you might expect to see upon entering the offices of a law firm, a corporate bank and a marketing company, for example.

Comfort

Visitors may spend quite a bit of time in your reception area as they wait to come in for meetings or interviews. Make sure that the waiting room is a comfortable and relaxing space that welcomes guests and makes them feel at ease. Furnish the room with plenty of soft seating and coffee tables, make magazines and newspapers available for visitors to read, and provide tea and coffee making facilities. Think about finishing touches as they can make a big difference to the atmosphere: plants and other natural elements are calming while artwork is inspiring.

Efficiency

The reception desk is the central hub of your entrance area. It needs to provide a focal point in the room but also be a practical and efficient workspace for greeting visitors, dealing with correspondence and answering phone calls. A messy, disorganised reception desk will give visitors the impression that your business operates the same way. The counter should have plenty of hidden storage space where files, paperwork and stationery can be kept. It also needs to have space for a computer, printer and telephone and should be designed in such a way that the wires and screens are not visible to visitors.

Hospitality

Your receptionist is one of the most important people in the company; he or she is the bridge between your business and the outside world, welcoming new clients and facilitating communications. The receptionist is often the first person in the company that guests will meet; it’s important not to underestimate the impact of this interaction on the impression that clients will take away with them. Make sure that your reception staff are able to manage all the incoming phone calls and give visitors their full attention even at peak times; this may mean hiring additional staff, but the added cost will pay off by improving client relations.

Aesthetically, different businesses will demand very different reception areas, but the underlying requirement is the same: an efficient and professional space that gives clients and staff alike confidence in your business. In SMEs, this may be a small reception desk with one sofa placed just inside the entrance to the office that welcomes a couple of visitors a day; in multi-national corporations, this could be a huge dedicated space with a constant flow of foot traffic. Regardless, you should ensure that the reception furniture, décor and layout that you choose reflects who you are as a company and makes the right first impression.