When you meet someone for the first time, what do you notice first? Do you pay attention to their hair color, how they tie their shoelaces, or how they say hello?

What do you think and feel about them after these initial moments?

First impressions are second nature for us. We form them in seconds and they influence how we view someone or something. Quick judgments are not the best habits, but they’re basically instinctual.

So, it’s important to leave a good first impression.

For your property, impressions all depend on the reception area.

Dress to Impress at the Front Desk

The reception area (a.k.a. the waiting room, the concierge, or the front desk) is the first point of contact for your property’s visitors, customers, residents, or employees.

They will make snap judgments about your building and organization the moment they step into this space.

Receive them poorly, with mismatched decoration and poor service, and they will expect the worst from the rest of their time here. Offer a warm welcome and a cohesive experience, and they’ll leave feeling great. They’ll be more likely to come back.

Here’s the issue: guests want to spend as little time as possible in your reception area. They want to get to their business as soon as possible. Time is limited after all.

The longer they have to wait (than expected), the more dissatisfied they will be.

So, the goal is to minimize waiting time while making the wait a great experience.

Your guests should feel at home, without getting too comfortable. They should get a good sense of your organization’s identity, without bombarding them with information.

Building the Atmosphere

Let’s start with the impression you want to leave on your guests. This will depend on your organization’s industry and identity.

• In the hospitality industry (hotels and inns) and residential communities (PBSAs, condominiums), people want to feel relaxed and at home.
• In clinical settings like hospitals or laboratories, people want to feel clean and safe. The same can be said about government offices and banks.
• Formal settings like an office or a co-working space demand focus and productivity.
• Social spaces like studios and gyms invite energy and creativity.

Next, we look at the physical features that build your desired atmosphere.

Color Scheme

The first step in making a pleasing space is to make it cohesive. You achieve that by setting your color palette.

Consider color psychology—how warm tones invite energy and cool tones invite calmness. You may use your organization’s logos and branding as a guide.

Keep this simple. Use a primary color, accents, and a neutral base.

Lighting

Make the most out of natural light. Spaces that are rich with sunlight feel more inviting and welcome. People orient themselves according to natural light, so they’ll gravitate to spaces where it can be felt (even if they don’t want to be directly under the sun).

You don’t need big bay windows or skylights to let the sun in. Even simple windows or transparent doors will do.

Artificial lighting will then be supplementary, especially at night, when it’s cloudy, or during colder seasons. Be mindful of the different types of lighting:

• Ambient lights, like recessed and pendant fixtures, also serve as decor. These light up the overall space, so they should have dimming capabilities.
• Task lights, like table lamps, direct attention. They’re ideal for focused tasks, of course.
• Accent lights, like sconces, highlight key features like artwork or signage.

The area’s color temperature is also important. Cool white lighting and high temperatures (>4000K) fosters energy and activity. Warmer lighting with lower temperatures (<3000K) is great for calm and intimate spaces.

Furniture

Your furniture creates points of interest. Think of your light fixtures, rugs, desks, decorations, and seating.

When preparing your seating, consider how many people you expect to accommodate at any time. This is your minimum capacity.

Your actual capacity will depend on your floor plan or room size. National Business Furniture recommends allocating 20 sq. ft. (1.86 sqm.) per guest for small seats. For larger seats, they recommend 30 to 35 sq. ft. (2.79-3.25 sqm.). If you’re allocating half of a 500 sq. ft space (46.45 sqm.) to seating, then you’d have room for 7 to 12 guests.

Make sure to test the furniture before letting the guests use it. Consider the following factors:

• Comfort: Your guests are not here to lounge, but they should be able to sit.
• Durability: Dozens or hundreds of people will go through your reception area daily. The furniture should be able to withstand that and any common problems, like stains.
• Variety: Have options for different preferences and occasions. Cluster seats together for groups. Use benches for long queues. Stackable chairs work well for quick ingress and egress.
• Accessibility: Older guests or people with mobility challenges may need harder furniture or railings to help them move.

Once you have the big fixtures nailed down, accessorize! Little details like throw pillows, curtains, and art add a personal touch.

Reading materials such as brochures, flyers, and pamphlets can introduce people to your products and services. Coffee table books are visually appealing. They’re also a clear way to showcase company knowledge if they’re related to your industry or location.

Barnes & Noble has a curated collection of coffee table books covering industries from fashion to travel. If you live outside of the States, you can still browse through this list and source them from your local bookstore!

Lastly, think about the furniture of your reception staff as well. Make sure that their stations (the reception desk and seats) are ergonomic. They’ll be working long hours and handling a lot of people, so they should be comfy too.

Layout

Space is usually limited in the reception area, so make the most of it. Since your furniture and the front desk are the points of interest, traffic should be directed to and around them. Just keep in mind potential bottlenecks.

The front desk should be positioned near the entrance so the staff can greet visitors entering the building, but it shouldn’t block the pathways. However, placing the front desk in front of the entrance can help separate the entrance from the waiting area, for a sense of privacy.

Positioning the front desk here also minimizes courier movement in delivering packages. That said, your parcel storage should be out of the public eye.

Not only is a cluttered desk unsightly, leaving the boxes and their labels exposed is incredibly insecure. Ideally, your storage area is hidden and your collection protocols clear parcels out as quickly as possible.

With the same thought, you can create areas or “zones” themed around certain tasks. The goal is to minimize overlap. The waiting area should be distinct from the information center. In banks, the tellers are usually spaced away from agents and officers.

Of course, keep in mind accessibility. Make sure anyone can navigate the space.

Greenery

Plants are an underrated decoration. They break up a room’s monotony by adding vibrant colors and life. They’re also a source of pleasant smells and fresh air.

If your reception area is lacking in natural light, that’s fine! Many plants like calatheas and cast iron plants can survive in low light.

(Low light doesn’t mean no light, though! Keep that in mind.)

Monstera plants are great showpieces, especially when they have the time to grow. Air plants, meanwhile, are great options if you want to worry about soil.

With all that said, you shouldn’t overcrowd the area with plants (unless you’re running the waiting room for a greenhouse).

You can just have a few groups of three sizes: small, medium, and large. That will make a big difference.

The Senses

For a complete experience, you should target as many of the senses as you can.

• Sight: We’ve been working on this with the previous aspects.
• Sound: Complete silence can be isolating, so break it up with background music or white noise. You can leave the TV or radio running, but guests can get turned off by ads. A playlist might do better.
• Smell: Use essential oil diffusers, scented candles, or air purifiers to evoke particular places or experiences.
• Touch: As we discussed with furniture, different materials work for certain situations. Harder materials like wood and metal are clinical and practical, while leather and cushioned furniture can be more comfortable but difficult to clean.

Sustaining the Energy

With the physical side of the reception area accounted for, let’s take care of the social and technological aspects.

Remember: your guests are supposed to feel welcome. If your visitors feel forgotten or unexpected as if they were intruders, the front desk has failed.

We can avert this with proper SOPs.

The Receptionist

Touch base with your staff. How they handle guests is even more important than where the guests will be waiting.

The front desk must be staffed at all times. An empty reception area is confusing, so make sure that visitors can approach someone or something even if another staff member is on break. Self-check-in kiosks are a viable alternative too.

The front desk staff should always be ready to serve. Overwhelming them with other tasks like parcel management or answering phone calls can be counterintuitive—since their attention will be taken away from the guests.

An easy fix is to have your staff alternate on tasks. Have one take the calls while the other answers inquiries.

That said, when it’s time for a break, let the staff have one without interruptions! Give them a separate space where guests can’t approach the staff while they’re eating or resting.

Amenities

Your visitors are always in need of something. By offering amenities, you can immediately address these common needs.

The amenities you actually offer, however, depend on your organization and property.

• Restrooms: This is a given, but it should be easy to navigate or find a restroom.
• Maps: On the same note, building navigation should be accessible with maps and signage.
• Charging stations: If your guests have to wait for an extended time, like in hospitals or offices, outlets or charging stations can extend your guests’ patience.
• Refreshments: Establishments that highlight relaxation, like hotels and lounges, can offer water, coffee, or tea. A stocked pantry or station should be enough, especially if you’re expecting high foot traffic.
• Wi-fi access: These days, Internet access is expected. But, you can add other forms of entertainment like television. Just keep in mind how loud audio might take away from the reception area’s atmosphere.

Technology

Regardless of how much you’ve trained the staff or optimized the room’s layout, bottlenecks will emerge. There may simply be too many visitors one day, or certain tasks take too much time to accomplish.

This is where technology comes in. Modern solutions allow many tedious tasks to be automated.

• A digital visitor sign-in system makes it clear to guests that they’re top of mind, and it reduces the amount of work they have to do to enter your property.
• Other visitor management software can make sure that guests are reaching their appointments on time, and without them getting lost.
• Signage and e-boards can showcase promotional content, announcements, and updates to keep people in the loop.
• Self-service kiosks allow guests to source information and set up appointments by themselves.
• Package management software streamlines the staff’s delivery processing, giving them more time to interact with the guests.

Are You Ready to Receive?

Visitor management is a critical part of an organization’s daily activities. A few moments in the reception area is enough to define the guest experience, for better or worse.

Luckily, there are many preparations you can make beforehand to make those precious minutes count. Parcel Tracker offers many solutions to make sure your staff can focus on the warm welcome.