1. Train Your Employees
There’s nothing worse for a client than to come into a workspace and not get any attention from employees who figure greeting visitors isn’t in their job description. While this may be technically true, it’s best to train all employees on how to handle visitors to avoid setting the wrong tone before you have the chance to greet a client yourself. Typically, you want to have employees take the following steps with visitors:
• Make eye contact, smile, and say hello
• Guide unattended visitors to the person they are there to meet
• Take the guest to an area where they can comfortably wait if someone higher up isn’t immediately available
2. Keep Your Workplace Clean and Tidy
It’s understandable for certain out-of-sight offices or closets to be a bit cluttered. But areas commonly seen by visitors should be as clean and tidy as possible. Perform regular inspections to look for and correct things such as:
• Chipped or faded paint
• Worn carpeting
• Office furniture that needs to be repaired
• Outdated magazines and/or newspapers
• Surfaces that need to be dusted
3. Give Specific Instructions to Your Reception Staff
While all employees should be trained on how to handle guests, pay particular attention to your reception staff. If a visitor comes in and receptionists are on the phone with their eyes intently focused on their computer as they attempt to multi-task, they’re likely to feel ignored or unimportant. Even if your receptionists are busy, instruct them to:
• Make eye contact with visitors
• Use hand gestures to let visitors know they’ll be attended to in a minute
• Use pleasant facial expressions to make clients feel welcome
4. Put Out Self-Serve Refreshments
Go beyond sticking your coffeemaker and/or light refreshments in the company breakroom and do the same thing in client/customer areas. You can do this by simply putting out a coffeemaker or water system and related supplies (e.g., cream, sugar, cups). With snacks, consider healthy options like fresh fruit or wrapped treats instead of candy that can quickly get stale.
5. Place Your Mission Statement/Guiding Principles in Plain View
This may seem like a small thing, but clearly posting your company’s mission statement or guiding principles can give a visiting client a better idea of what drives your company and motivates your staff. Taking this step also shows that certain values or principles are especially important to you and the people on your staff.
Another way to impress clients visiting your workspace is with your office furniture. You may not realize it, but chairs that are faded or a layout that’s inefficient or cluttered can send the wrong message. Make it clear that employee comfort, modern innovations, and workspace efficiency are top priorities by taking advantage of the services available from Office Innovations. In addition to furniture delivery and assembly, we can lend a hand with reconfiguration efforts, refurbish existing furniture that needs spruce, clean your upholstery, and even conduct a thorough furniture inventory for you.
Contact us today to learn more about our products and services.
