Is Your Office Environment Welcoming Clients or Chasing Them Away?

A messy office gives a bad impression. Take the time and spend the money to keep your office, especially the entrance and reception area, immaculate.

Even personal offices should be well organized. If not, a client might assume:

• You don’t care about the appearance of your office or take pride in your business.
• You don’t have enough staff or resources and are too overwhelmed to take care of their needs.
• You don’t manage your time well.

Keep your desk clear of clutter, and keep only the papers that are relevant to your current task on the desk’s surface. You should neatly file everything else in organized, but accessible, folders.

You should also make sure that you extend your housecleaning efforts to the parking lot and hallways. A messy parking lot can set a negative tone for the entire visit.

When meeting with a client, silence your office and cell phones. This signals to your client that he or she has your undivided attention and that you value their time and see them as an important priority, not just another task to juggle.

Consistent décor gives an air of professionalism to an office and establishes a high-quality brand and image for the business. A consistently applied color and design theme shows that you decorated intentionally, not with a conglomeration of whatever chairs, pictures, and paint you could find for the cheapest price.

Your clients will feel more at ease if they can wait in a space that seems intentional, professional, and coordinated.

Simple touches like updated magazines can make a huge impact on a client’s perception of your office. Outdated newspapers, magazines, and the like suggests that you do not care about your reception area or the time that clients may spend there.

Nothing is more frustrating than struggling to find the right office. As your clients drive to your location, they should be able to easily identify your office’s location because of ample, large signage. If possible, include a sign at the entrance to your parking lot so clients can easily see where to enter. Signs show your customers that you care about your image, which usually suggests that you care about other aspects of your business as well. Get your signs today!

Continue to advertise your logo and company name in the office. All office signs should contain your logo.

Employee morale has a significant impact on the atmosphere of the office. Make sure you provide a clean, reasonably-sized break room for employees. Include snack machines and some sort of water dispenser. Make sure you have a refrigerator for lunches. Consider providing small snacks like popsicles or fruit to boost morale. This break room serves two primary purposes.

1. Employees will have a nice place to take a break and recharge.
2. Employees will be less likely to hang around outside the entrance or parking lot.

Client Interactions

Each client should be greeted with a smile when they enter the office. It is awkward to walk into an office and talk to someone at reception who seems disinterested. Make sure that your staff greet each visitor enthusiastically and personally.

Create flashcards of each client so the employees at reception can learn names of returning clients.

When a client’s birthday rolls around, send them a card. Do the same for major holidays. Email your clients with information about changes within the company that impact them.

When a client contacts you, respond quickly. Make it a goal to answer all client emails every day.

Make a point to get to know your clients. Remember the name of your client’s spouse, and ask about his or her kids when you see them. If a client mentions they are participating in a fishing tournament, look up the results in a newspaper and offer congratulations the next time you see them. Did a client mention a daughter’s dance recital? Ask how it went when they next visit.

If you remember and mention these small details when you meet with clients, they will feel valued and respected. The bond that you create will give you an edge over any competitor seeking to steal your clients.

Let your clients know that you appreciate their business. Remember to thank each client for choosing your company every time you visit with them or contact them.

When it comes to creating a high-quality office environment, it is all in the details. As you improve your office space and client interactions, you will create a welcoming, comfortable environment that will increase customer retention rates and boost your business.