| making it quite clear that they cost a great deal less | | | | are providing the ideal opportunity for customers to |
| than the leather upholstered you can help to improve | | | | enter your reception office, feel comfortable and at |
| their perception of you as a company. Don't forget | | | | ease, and enjoy taking on board some of your |
| that for many potential customers, Your brand image | | | | products or services in a more relaxed and open |
| is everything, and you want that to be backed up by | | | | way. |
| a good first impression of the lay-out and apparent | | | | Along with the furniture and reading material comes |
| efficiency of your office. Not ostentatious to the | | | | with the training of the receptionist and an offer of |
| point of being vulgar, and not so expensive-looking as | | | | drinks when they are seated. Make them not only |
| to give the impression of profligacy. Potential | | | | comfortable, but also feel as though they are |
| customers like neither of these things. You must | | | | valuable to you. You can also take this opportunity |
| try to make sure that the physical impression you | | | | to impress your environmental policies upon your |
| give represents the ideals and image which your | | | | visitors. |
| company is trying to give: that it reflects your brand | | | | Increasingly today, people are aware of ways in |
| image. | | | | which businesses and retail outlets use energy in poor |
| If your company is dynamic, positive, forward | | | | ways, and it is not only business managers who are |
| thinking and vibrant, then the decor and general | | | | aware of what is meant by a carbon footprint. |
| surroundings need to show that vibrancy, and appear | | | | You might have included a number of large open |
| dynamic. How this is achieved will depend largely on | | | | windows in your office design, but as a result of |
| the space that you have available for your reception | | | | poor planning have to cover them with blinds to |
| office area, and in some cases this might be fairly | | | | prevent the dazzle of bright sunshine on display |
| small, limiting you in many ways. Having said that, | | | | screens and the like. You then have to power up |
| large spaces can create just as many challenges, and | | | | several dozen powerful halogen lamps to light the |
| can project a false image of your company as | | | | office: what message is this conveying to your |
| sacrificing space and resources to your reception | | | | visitors about your environmental integrity or |
| area where it might be more profitably be expended | | | | awareness? |
| elsewhere. | | | | Instead, take the opportunity to design your |
| Another point worth making is the fact that, although | | | | reception area to maximize light, but minimize |
| it is easy to imagine ways in which your business can | | | | reflections on screens, maximize sunlight, thus |
| portray a vibrant image or a calming environment, | | | | minimizing on heating, maximizing on natural materials, |
| you will need to convey the impression that you care | | | | but minimizing on their implicit carbon footprint. Using |
| about your clients. Simple things can help to improve | | | | local materials rather than those shipped from |
| the chances of giving this impression, but it takes | | | | overseas is a good start. It should then be possible |
| careful thinking to get it right. | | | | to make these points known to visiting clients and |
| For example, as customers walk into your reception | | | | customers through the incidental distribution of |
| office, is the receptionist sitting behind a large desk | | | | promotional products and services in the seating area. |
| presenting something of a barricade, with pens | | | | Another point to consider is maintenance, and clearly |
| chained to the desk and hard plastic chairs available, | | | | it will be important to make sure that the reception |
| making it quite clear that they cost a great deal less | | | | area can be kept clean and tidy fairly easily, since this |
| than the leather upholstered, padded armchair that | | | | will likely be the busiest part of the office area, with |
| the receptionist is enjoying? | | | | people walking in from outside, doors constantly |
| An open reception area, with a receptionist slightly | | | | opening, with the potential for scuffs, dirt, litter and |
| angled or to one side can reduce any impression of | | | | dust. |
| confrontation, and by having a comfortable lounge or | | | | For this reason, take care to plan your reception |
| seating area for customers, you can help to improve | | | | office area in such a way that it doesn't create |
| their perception of you as a company. Don't forget | | | | problems, such as carpeting right up to the front |
| that for many potential customers, the receptionist | | | | door, coffee machines placed on pale colored |
| and the space in which he or she works is their first | | | | carpets, and myriad ledges for the purpose of |
| introduction to your company. | | | | collecting dust. If you bear in mind your first |
| Have you considered taking the opportunity to | | | | impression, your maintenance costs and work, as well |
| provide reading material or promotional literature, and | | | | as your impact on the environment, then the lasting |
| including some coffee tables of other occasional | | | | impression is likely to be as positive as it deserves. |
| tables with promotional products or literature on you | | | | |