Designing A Smarter Reception Area

The reception area is your business' gateway to your company culture, and is the beginning and end of many journeys. For clients, it's the first place to build an impression of a company and can set the tone in your favor before discussions begin. For potential hires, it can help calm and relax candidates while giving them a chance to put their best foot forward. For the greatest set of first impressions possible, here are a few improvement points for reception areas with an efficient tech focus.

Signal-Boosted Reception Desks

Wireless internet access is a tricky subject for many business. When guests are allowed access to wifi, it can make their experience a lot more comfortable and with less idle anxiety. Especially in buildings that reduce cellular (3G, 4G, CDMA, etc) signals, it's a great benefit as long as the internet usage is limited and doesn't affect your business.

One problem with wireless access is mounting the access points. Many professional wifi setups include an access point (AP) device that is mounted in a corner near the ceiling to give a great signal vantage point, but this exposes cables and ports to guests.

It's not likely that someone will try to hack a device with a cable connection while the receptionist is there, but in the interests of security and reducing the number of things that could happen when distracted, keep the access point controlled by the reception desk.

The power block or Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector can be connected to equipment below the desk, and the access point can either be placed on the desk or mounted on the wall behind the desk. This also allows your tech professionals to work on any wireless network issues behind the working area instead of affecting a guest sitting area.

Reception Desks With Productive Benefits

Along with using a reception desk as a tech hotspot, you can increase its utility by having the right types of shelving, doors, and working surfaces.

Reception area workers often need to organize different types of paperwork, protect personal belongings that are necessary when working hours exceed healthy limits, and even store objects for lost and found purposes. A reception desk that has magnetic and lockable doors with removable shelves can make storage easy and flexible, even when purses and briefcases are too big for a standard shelf size.

Office work is more hazardous than many types of active jobs because of the sedentary nature of the the work. To increase opportunities for workers to stay active and comfortable, make sure that the desk has a standing surface option. This means having a surface that can be raised to a person's standing height.

The same goes for keyboard mounting, as keyboard placement can affect shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain. Contact an office furniture and accessories professional to discuss other ways to stay updated in accessibility and comfort.