Businesses considering how to boost their customer satisfaction and brand loyalty often look to parts of their business such as the quality of their products and the speed of service. While these are certainly worthwhile considerations, there is one thing that most companies completely overlook: their office reception area.
This seemingly innocuous space is one of the first your clients will see, and it can shape their entire impression of the business and its quality. Whether you use dramatic uplighting, custom indoor signs, thriving plants, or something else all shapes this perception, which can have a direct impact on your bottom line.
The good news is that even a few small changes can cause big changes in customer impression. Here’s what your office reception area says about your company.
Company Culture
A company’s culture reflects the business’ values, practices, and approach to serving customers and employees. Prospective clients and visitors want to see that their presence is welcome and that the business has taken steps to foster a positive culture. If the reception area is a mess of confusing corridors or pathways full of obstructions and unclear signage, customers can quickly gather the perception that the business’ culture is disorganized.
As a result, people may make the connection that a disorderly reception space corresponds to a lack of organization throughout the business, including in products or services. Create a reception that is easy to navigate and understand, starting with custom signage to point the way or make it clear where people are supposed to go for specific services.
Goals and Successes
Customers expect to see a reception that is more than just bare walls and a desk with a check-in clerk. The decoration in this space is one area that businesses can leverage to show off their success stories and clue in customers on their future goals. For instance, display awards or signs of community service prominently in this space. Not only does this foster trust and a bond between customer and company, but it also lends legitimacy to the business.
Similarly, subtle branding can convey progress toward new goals. Feature imagery of existing or planned initiatives. Use adaptable lighting, signage, or even wall covering patterns that create a sense of momentum: lines that move horizontally or décor that draws the eye upward or to specific focal points.
Care and Quality
Customers want to know that a business cares about them. More than just the products or services, they expect to feel the company understands and aims to resolve the burden of their pain points. An office reception area that is full of overflowing garbage bins, stained seating, or dirty carpet can impact whether or not a visitor trusts your business.
If the business does not even take the effort to empty their trash, how can they be trusted to deliver on the product they’re selling or the services they’re offering? Spend time carefully curating the reception area by keeping it clean, organized, and bright. Crisp, beautiful custom signage or even backlit wall decorations can provide a sense of care, demonstrating they are willing to invest in a custom décor piece to help visitors feel at home.
Dedication and Innovation
People want to see that a business is making forward progress, not stagnating in old practices and outdated products. Consider how the office reception area might worsen (or improve) a company’s innovative spirit.
Small, subconscious changes such as décor that is displayed in a sweeping motion (e.g., a wall pattern that starts large near the customer and gets smaller as it moves down the hall) can convey a sense of forward progress or a vision for the future. Additionally, don’t hesitate to highlight all the areas where your company stands head and shoulders above the rest, either in dedication to customers or innovation in the industry.
Have you received commendations from professionals in your niche? Display their words directly on the wall. Planning something that will shake up the industry? Share details about it (or even early-stage prototypes) in the waiting area for customers to consider.
Level Up Your Reception Area with Custom Signage
The reception area is one of the most important spaces in the company’s entire footprint. It’s the first image customers see, and it can make or break how they feel about the business long before they ever purchase a product or try a service. While each business will need to approach revitalizing this area differently, custom indoor signs can be a great choice in a variety of reception areas.
From the company’s logo in bright, glowing colors to help customers find the check-in desk to a tasteful image or outline that tells customers what the business is all about without words, ShieldCo Signs can help your company make a great first impression. Contact us to learn more!