First impressions matter: Is your office lobby welcoming?

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Research suggests that about 11 million face-to-face business meetings happen across the US, which means busy professionals attend over 60 meetings each month). Similarly, the value of face-to-face interviews with candidates still cannot be discounted, despite the age of video-conferencing.

If such business meetings and candidate interview take place on your office premises, take note – first impressions are vital.

Research from Proxyclick of 2,000 individuals across the US and UK has revealed that two out of every five people (40%) claim their perception of a company or brand has been negatively affected by their experience in the corporate lobby or reception area.

What factors make for an unwelcome reception?

Of the 2,000 US and UK office workers surveyed in Proxyclick’s annual ‘Office Worker Bugbears’ survey, over 70% (71%) cited unfriendly receptionists, followed by over half (53%) naming a lacklustre welcome as top reasons for their bad experience.

Further jarring experiences include long queues in reception, repeated requests for ID, and security escorts through entry barriers.

The whitepaper puts down the solution for such issues in the form of an ‘Integrated Visitor Experience’ (IVE), which integrates building, security and workplace management systems, such as visitor management, access control and meeting room management solutions.

Gregory Blondeau, founder of Proxyclick, said: “Not five to ten years ago, the visitor experience did not really exist, the basic process simply covered how someone is received in a building or premises and how they’re able to move around.

"Today, the rise of smart buildings, developments in automation, open application programming interface standards and cloud technology, have changed the game."

What does the integrated experience look like for the visitor?

Graphic / Proxyclick Lead image / 123RF