Giving the Right Impression with Your Reception Area

When people think of office furniture, they think of desks and chairs. They think of what goes into someone’s office or cubicle. It rarely occurs to them that office furniture is really anything that goes into an office building. In fact, I would venture to say that the most important office furnishings for a business are actually the items placed in its lobby or reception area.
Think about it. Every time you have entered a new office building, the first area you enter is where you create your first impression of the business you are dealing with. Usually, this is the reception area. From the furniture to the décor to its cleanliness, everything about this room affects your opinion of the people who work there. Now think about how your reception area looks. What initial perception do you think your customers and job applicants have about your business?

A clean, well organized, and stylish reception area will immediately give people a feeling of ease. They will expect you to be trustworthy and intelligent. They will believe your business is successful and lucrative.

The first thing a person sees when entering a lobby or reception area is the reception desk, since they will be focused on talking to a person right away. The style of this desk will say a good deal about what sort of business they have entered. A traditional or old fashioned design will give a feeling of a business with a lot of experience and a deep foundation. A more modern style will give the impression that you have your finger on the pulse of today’s trends and abound with creativity. They will also pay attention to how your receptionist or customer service representative is positioned. Is there plenty of room to work? Do you provide them with comfortable seating and some privacy? In other words, are you a kind employer?

After speaking to the receptionist, customers look for a place to sit. Again, the style of the seating creates different impressions. No style is any better than another; just different. However, whatever style you choose, make sure that the furniture is clean, undamaged, comfortable, and professional. Your fluffy plump sofa at home would not be appropriate; no matter how much you enjoy sitting in it. Make sure that your sofas and guest seats are well coordinated if they are not from a matching set. If you have no eye for such things, ask your office furniture retailer for help or contact an interior designer.

What you place in your reception area also tells people much about who you are. So tables, bookshelves, and other surfaces are also a vital component of any reception area. A bookshelf filled with books by Voltaire and Rousseau will clearly give the impression that deep thinkers work there. Surfaces decorated with souvenirs from around the world will create the picture of cultured professionals. A coffee table with neatly folded financial and business papers available to read will create the belief that this business is always up to date with the business world. A side table with hot coffee and cold bottled water always available will help customers feel they will be well taken care of.

My advice for any business hoping to make a great first impression with customers and job applicants is to take a critical eye to your lobby or reception area. Look for scuffs, scratches, and tears in the furniture. Make sure everything is as clean as possible. Ask your receptionist or customer service representative how easy it is to work in their space and if they are comfortable. Sit in your seats and decide if you would want to sit there if you were the customer. Make sure you have enough surfaces and storage areas, and think about what impression you are making with what you display on them. Finally, ask yourself would you rather your customers perceive your business as mature and steadfast or young and vibrant. The impression your reception area creates will help determine the customers and employees you attract. If you would like to see what Gator Office Furniture has to offer for your reception area, check out our weekly specials on our site.

As always, you can call us at (904)724-6400, follow us on Twitter, or browse our website for more information.

Meet Marco Castillo!

Gator Office Furniture is taking a break from sharing our great deals and helpful advice in this entry so that we can introduce you to our newest sales representative, Marco Castillo. Besides his warm personality, Marco brings his experiences with new business development and sales management to our showroom. He is fluent in English and Spanish, and also dabbles in many other languages. We are also proud to have a former Corpsman in a U.S. Naval Hospital in our store. He graduated with a B.S. from Southern Illinois University and is currently pursuing an M.B.A. with Webster University.

Marco is a big car fan! He enjoys going to shows and especially likes restored muscle cars. He and his wife also are animal lovers. They have three dogs and two cats. His wife volunteers for animal rescue groups.

Marco is most looking forward to getting into the new business development side of our business! So, if you are starting a new business, he is the man you need to talk to! If you drop by the store, please give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Gator Office Furniture family. We know you will like him as much as we do!

As always, you can contact us at (904)724-6400, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website.

Incredible Deals On Used Office Furniture

Recently, we have had a huge influx of good furniture that we are able to sell for incredibly low prices. I suppose because I work in the used and new office furniture industry, these great deals have gotten me pretty excited. Tingly even. Still, I have held myself back from crying out “Hurry, hurry, hurry! For a limited time only, we’re selling this stuff for craaaaaaaazy prices!” Nobody likes hearing that and, except for used car salesmen it seems, nobody likes speaking that way. Still I feel like I’d be remiss in my duties as a blogger, if I didn’t share these super deals.

First, we have a used Hon 10700 Laminate U Group, going for $795. We’ll even throw in an executive chair and two guest seats for super low prices as well. All you need are a few photographs of your kids and you have yourself an entire office for only $1,399.

Then, we have available immediately 300 extraordinary high pressure laminate folding tables in grey and tan from Bevis and Virco. They are perfect for schools, churches, and community service centers. These are going for the amazingly low prices of $29 for six footers and $39 for eight footers!

Lastly, we also have 740 green padded stack chairs with a chrome sled base from Nightingale being sold for only $19 each.

Now, can you understand why I might be excited? It practically feels like we’re giving these away. Oh dear, there comes that used car salesman talk again. Still, I’m impressed and I hope that all of these items will find a home with someone who needs them. If you’re interested in learning more or have questions and comments, please give us a call at (904) 724-6400, catch us at Twitter, visit our website, or simply pop buy our office furniture store at 6160 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, Duval County, FL 32216!

A Few Of Our Favorite Things

A few weeks ago, I asked everyone at the store to email me their favorite furnishings that we carry. The PL Series from Office Source won hands down. There are some very good reasons why too. Besides being quite affordable, their office furniture is easy to mix and match. For instance, the same office shelving that works for a new workstation could also be used for a new reception station. The laminate does not stain and cleans very easily. Their modern office furniture comes in a variety of pleasing color schemes, styles, and storage options. Since pictures are worth a thousand words, instead of describing our favorite pieces, I will simply display them with the photographs below.

Office Source's PL Series has a great variety of desk units and workstations!

These furnishings are appropriate for offices, cubicles, reception areas, conference rooms, and more! These are the items for a company that rearranges their workspace often.

The PL Series has many creative solutions for storage and shelving!

Follow us on Twitter as GatorOfficeFurn, explore our website or just give us a call with any questions or comments at (904) 724-6400.