Reception Room Furniture Planning Tips

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What is the weight capacity of your waiting chairs?

Weight Capacity

Waiting chairs need to be comfortable, but they also need to be practical. Make sure to check the weight capacity that your chairs can support before placing an order. The last thing you want is for a chair to not be up to par and land you in a lawsuit because someone was hurt when it broke underneath them.

For example, if you are a medical professional who specializes in sports injuries/medicine, you deal mainly with athletes on a daily basis. Let's say you treat a lot of football players. You do not want a 280 lb defensive back sitting in a chair that can only support up to 250 lbs. That's like poking a bear with a stick. It's just a bad idea.

So make sure you check the weight capacity of reception furniture before making a purchase. If the capacity is not listed, ask a customer service or sales representative to be sure.

   
Did you look at furniture sets?

Furniture Sets & Bundles

Some people will mix and match reception furniture. Pick one type of chair and find another table or couch of a similar style that looks good together. This is fine. But if you want to go another route, it might save you a little time.

Furniture sets typically come with most of, if not all of what you might need. So if you want all your furniture to be the same, or at least the same style, reception furniture sets will give you what you need and save you the time of trying to find individual pieces.

In most cases, if you find a set you like but it only comes with one table and you need two, it is easy to add an extra table to your order to complete what you are looking for. Buying a set can also save you money instead of buying each piece of your furniture separately.

If you do choose to buy individual pieces of furniture to furnish your waiting area, see if you can still get a bundle deal or discount for buying the furniture all from one company. Many companies will do this in order to make sure you buy your waiting chairs and tables from them instead of just one or the other.

   
Did you measure the space before buying furniture?

Take Measurements

When looking at leasing or purchasing office space, it is important to take measurements first. Especially when it comes to your lobby or reception area. The space you are acquiring needs to comfortably and stylishly accommodate those that will be waiting in that room. It should also offer a relaxing environment for your clients or patients.

Take the measurements of some of the sets of furniture that you are considering: tables, waiting chairs, reception desk, etc. Figure out how many of each you will need and see if you can fit the required furniture in the space you are looking at.

If you need enough space for 10 to 15 people waiting to be seen and the location you are looking at can only fit seven chairs and a table, you might need to start looking elsewhere. It is also possible that once you find a good location you might need to modify your choice of furniture slightly to make it work. Preparation will make it easy to determine what space and what furniture will work best for you.

   
Where is your reception desk positioned?

Positioning The Reception Desk

Receptionists have to deal with a lot of issues on a daily basis. Whether it is trying to avoid monumental headaches from listening to screaming children all day in a pediatrician's waiting room, or someone yelling because their appointment did not start on time, the days can get pretty long.

That is why it is important to do as much as you can to minimize the headaches. Arrange your reception room furniture in a manner so that the receptionist has a full view of the entire room and all those waiting in it. This way they know exactly who is waiting, and they can keep track of how long they have been there, and possibly warn you if someone is getting a little antsy.

It may take a few tries to organize the waiting area furniture in a way that works best for your office, but in the end it can help employees maintain better control and efficiency as people wait to be seen.

   
What does your reception desk need to accomodate?

Size and Shape Matter

The reception desk is not something that you should choose lightly. There are several considerations to take into account before purchasing one. For example, will the desk need to accommodate more than one receptionist at a time? If so, you need to purchase a large enough desk so that there is room for the necessary number of employees, paperwork and computer systems.

You should also ask yourself if your business deals with personal, sensitive or confidential information. If it does and any of this information will cross your receptionist's desk, you might want to consider one with an elevated front face so that people cannot see that information from the other side.

Depending on the type of business you are in, file storage and computer needs might be important. Will the reception desk need to be large enough to accommodate a printer? Fax machine? Multiple large computer monitors? Do you need built-in drawers or filing cabinets, and do they need to be able to lock?

Determining the answers to these questions will point you in the right direction for purchasing a reception desk, and make your life, as well as your receptionist's day, much easier.

   
Is your waiting room cluttered?

Avoiding Clutter In Reception Areas

When someone walks into your waiting room they should be able to easily find the reception desk, check in and take a seat without having to navigate an obstacle course. A cluttered waiting area gives the impression of chaos and that things are far from organized. It is also difficult to wait in such an area for any length of time without becoming uncomfortable and agitated. And this is the last thing you want clients, customers or patients to feel.

So when you are getting ready to buy reception room chairs and other furniture, take a minute to think about what you need and what you can accommodate. How many people do you think you would have waiting in your offices at one time? It is important to have enough to accommodate the maximum number of people that might be waiting at any given moment. You do not want to leave people waiting and standing the whole time, too.

Then figure out how many waiting chairs and tables the room can comfortably fit without being cluttered. People need to be able to walk by without stumbling on someone else waiting in the chair next to them.

   
What waiting room accessories have you considered?

Waiting Room Accessories

It is all in the details. Waiting chairs and tables, reception desks, these are all important. But it does not end there with the big items. Waiting room accessories can make the time people spend in there more relaxing and enjoyable. They can also add to the image a reception area puts forth.

For example, magazine racks are a good start. Rather than just tossing a pile of magazines on top of a coffee table for people to dig through, organize them neatly with a magazine rack so people can find what they are looking for and use the table space for other things.

Coat racks are also important. They help to avoid people taking up extra seats with piles of coats, limiting the number of chairs that are available to others. Try placing a coat rack at each end of the waiting room. That way people can keep their belongings closer to them and do not have to wander across the entire room to get something from their jacket.

These accessories complement your other reception room furniture and make the whole area more organized and comfortable for everyone. Take as look at these and other options at BizChair.com.

   
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