Just like the respected Warren Buffet puts it, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and just five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Brands need to realize that their equity and image depend upon more than marketing and sales collateral.
Branding is a much wider term, encompassing other important activities like a solid front desk experience. Just imagine – the moment visitors walk through your office doors, they’ll likely need assistance navigating the building.
Not only that, but they’d also expect staff support to get their queries answered. In a way, the front desk people act as gatekeepers who can make or break a visitor’s experience of your office and brand. Keep reading to understand more about the importance of a solid front desk experience and how you can use it to your advantage.
What a Good Front Desk Experience Says about Your Brand
A business finds a plethora of people walking through its doors every single day – customers, guest speakers, courier delivery executives, contractors, etc. The first thing these visitors generally look for is the front desk or reception area, where they may enquire about their visit.
There’s a reason why the most successful companies have the most expensive and artistic furniture, accented walls, and whatnot in the lobby area. The front desk area and the greetings a visitor receives leave a lasting impression on their mind about the company.
A professional appearance coupled with easy check-in facilities and relaxing restrooms with snack provisions tells the visitor that they’re important. And any company that makes its customers, suppliers, and guests feel like kings and queens can never go wrong!
Tips for a Solid Front Desk Experience for Your Visitors
1. Focus on the Focal Point
Every office is unique, and so is its lobby area for visitors. Try to put yourself in your guests’ shoes and then ask what the focal point is. Meaning what are your visitors most likely to see as they walk through the main door?
Ideally, the front desk, so it’s important you choose a design and layout that is consistent with your brand. Consider introducing some greenery through air-purifying plants. They not only have a calming effect but also make the space aesthetic.
You can invest in any of these NASA-approved indoor plants. Besides that, also invest in a good accent wall with your brand’s logo and some unique shelves. A featured wall becomes your company’s mouthpiece, telling guests what to expect from your business.
2. Taking the Manned or Unmanned Route? Decision, Decisions!
Most people find it superfluous when it comes to the question of whether the office front desk should be manned or unmanned. But many offices are facing labor shortages, which is why they’re taking the unmanned route.
Just like you think, a staff member does not always occupy the front desk. With the help of reliable visitor management software, the complex aspects of visitor check-in can be automated via a kiosk.
As a result, staff members are free to participate in more meaningful conversations instead of helping guests with tedious paperwork.
3. Let Your Brand Shine from Every Nook and Cranny
Your office’s first impressions are the aesthetics of the lobby area. While it may feel safe to choose minimalistic or neutral colors, try to step out of this comfort zone. One good way to go about this is to utilize your brand’s colors as much as possible.
You can incorporate brand colors in the accent furniture or have a custom-made feature table at the center. Even your visitor management solution can be customized to reflect brand colors. This helps in staying at the top of your visitor’s mind.
Other than that, you can even have your brand’s top three values subtly featured on the walls.
4. Improve the Initial Communication
It may not always be possible for an employee to be present at the front desk. But the moment visitors enter the reception area, they would expect to be greeted warmly and have a relaxed experience.
This is where reliable visitor management software comes in. It can notify respective employees of a guest or visitor’s arrival. As soon as a notification is received, employees can receive the visitors and help them navigate to the designated areas.
Not only that but employees can also be ready for meetings and conferences on time.
Monitoring and measuring front desk performance
Monitoring and measuring front desk performance is crucial for businesses seeking to provide a stellar customer experience and maintain a positive brand image. By implementing effective monitoring and measurement strategies, organizations can identify areas of improvement, assess the efficiency of their front desk operations, and gauge customer satisfaction levels.
Regular evaluations and performance assessments are another essential aspect of monitoring front desk performance. By setting clear performance indicators, managers can assess the efficiency and effectiveness of front desk staff. These evaluations can be based on factors such as response time, problem-solving skills, knowledge of products or services, and adherence to company policies and procedures.
Furthermore, utilizing data and metrics allows businesses to measure front desk performance objectively. Metrics like customer satisfaction scores, average response time, and customer retention rates provide quantifiable data that reflects the front desk’s impact on the overall customer experience.
Parting Thoughts
Your workplace’s front desk is its mouthpiece, at least in a way. Within the first few minutes, visitors get a solid impression of your company and its values. Therefore, it’s important to keep things as professional as possible.
Perhaps this is why the market for reliable visitor management solutions is booming. All data and check-ins are being stored on the cloud to make it easier to manage numerous visitors in a day.
Companies are ditching third-party applications and integrating it all into their Outlook calendar to stay on top of current meetings and events. This way, they’re saving more than just trees via a smart virtual solution!
