We’ve all been there.
You show up to an appointment with a doctor, or lawyer, or consultant and while you’re waiting for them to finish up with their previous appointment you are stuck in the dreaded waiting room- a room too often characterized by peeling paint on cement walls, harsh fluorescent lights, outdated magazines, and uncomfortable conference chairs.
No thank you.
We all know the pain of sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room, so why not consider how to improve your own businesses’ waiting room? One of the simplest ways to make your business stand out is to create a waiting room that is inviting, comfortable, and unique. This will make your clients feel more welcome when they arrive and they won’t mind waiting a few minutes longer if the space they are in is comfortable.
As Americans are being vaccinated, in person appointments and meetings are starting up again. As you reimagine your waiting room to fit social distancing guidelines, why not go for a total makeover?
Your business’s waiting room needs to set a positive first impression to your potential clients and customers. Show off your office’s personal brand by customizing your waiting room so it feels unique to your business.
Here are three simple tips on how to make your waiting room a more inviting place:
Soft Lighting
One of the worst parts about sitting in a waiting room is the fluorescent lights that seem to exist in every office waiting room to have ever existed.
Switching to alternative lighting sources like floor lamps is an excellent, subtle switch that will make the waiting room feel more like a living room than a place inside an institution.
Fluorescent lights have been known to trigger headaches and migraines for individuals who suffer from light sensitivity or may be prone to migraines already.
Although many improvements have been made on fluorescent lighting to make them flicker less, studies show that modern day fluorescent lights still can trigger eye pain, dizziness, nausea, and even increase anxiety.
Replacing your fluorescent lights with soft, incandescent lighting will make your clients and customers feel more comfortable and at ease. It will make them feel less like they are in an institution and more like they are in a home.
Try using floor, table lamps, or wall sconces with incandescent bulbs to help your customers or clients feel more at ease.
Comfortable Chairs
Nothing is worse than being stuck in a waiting room for a long period of time- except maybe being stuck in a waiting room for a long period of time in an uncomfortable chair!
Be honest- when was the last time you sat in a chair in your own waiting room? Now might be the time. If you’re not enjoying it after a few minutes, you can bet that neither are your clients.
By having your customers or clients wait in uncomfortable conference chairs you are setting a tone for the rest of your interaction. Try investing in some new conferences chairs from Beverly Hill Chairs.
This Allure Mesh Side Chair is comfortable and stylish. Better yet, upgrade your waiting room chairs to more comfortable, free moving chairs like this Lux Leather Conference Chair which will allow your office to feel like a flexible space rather than an institution.
This also allows for the room to be easily rearranged for families or partners to sit together while remaining six feet apart from other parties.
Your customers or clients will have less issue with waiting for their appointment to start if they are sitting comfortably.
White Noise Machine
White noise machines can serve two purposes- they’re relaxing and they give a sense of privacy. White noise machines are small, compact machines that emit a sound similar to that of the static you hear when a radio station won’t come through properly.
In quiet spaces such as waiting rooms small noise disturbances can sound more intense, causing people to place value on them which can lead to stress and distraction.
White noise drowns out excess noise such as keyboard clicking, papers rustling, whispering, or the clock ticking on the wall.
This allows people to calm down. It also blocks sound from back offices, making meetings more private. Knowing there is a level of privacy will put your clients more at ease while in your waiting room, especially if you work in the legal or medical field.
While some people opt for music, chances are you won’t satisfy everyone with your waiting room playlist, especially if you serve a wide range of people. A white noise machine is a more accessible sound option for everyone you may serve.
Make a Good First Impression
Your waiting room provides a first impression forNobody likes waiting, but with these simple steps you can make your waiting room more inviting and show your customers and clients that you care about their comfort.
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