Add Power Outlets to Waiting Area for Better Customer Service
Return to Office Furniture San Jose
I’m sitting in a waiting area at a tire store. The store is busy today; my wait time will be about an hour and ½ to fix a slow leak. Good thing I brought my notepad. At least I can stay somewhat productive.
Waiting Area 1 – with Counter Space and Stools
2 Convenient Waiting Areas – Good attention to customer needs
Conveniently, this store has two waiting areas, one with stools, counters & tables and the other with the ever present TV with typical upholstered guest chairs. At least you can chose a spot based on your personal preference and what you plan to do with your time.
The bar stools are tough metal and the upholstery is in good shape. Comfortable enough (but not sure how 1 ½ hours later will feel.
They do offer a phone charging station but currently two people are seated on both sides of the recharger so even though one of my phones needs recharging, it is not convenient or accessible to me.
Recommended Improvements to these Spaces
What changes or additions would I suggest to make these areas more comfortable and convenient for the store’s waiting customers and potentially increase sales?
Waiting Area 2 – TV and magazines
Table top Power Outlets and Magazine Racks
Access to convenient power outlets, a magazine/newspaper rack to encourage tidiness, and QR codes on posters to encourage mobile web access come to mind.
The waiting area away from the TV, with two bar height counters and standing height café tables has only one 4-plug power outlet – centered between the two counters and an outlet on the left-most side of the left counter. If you are seated on the right side or at the café tables, you are out of luck power wise. Only waiting customers seated toward the middle of the two counters or on the left most counter have access to power.
(Good news – just saw my car being driven into the service bay – yea!).
And the customers waiting next to the cell phone charger has moved so I can now recharge my exhausted phone. BTW, the recharge cable is too short to plug in the phone and use the phone at the same time (so partially convenient but not totally).
An easy fix to this situation would be to add a few counter height outlets. Easy-to-install table top outlets, available for about $ 145.00 would remedy this situation quickly.
Table-top Power Supply
Magazine Rack
Keeping the waiting area tidy is easy when you have a distinct place for magazines and newspapers. Otherwise table tops and chairs become reading material clutter sites. A simple rack such as a vertical wire mesh holder would help tidy up this space.
And although this retail space has convenient free wi-fi, the posters and displays don’t include web-engaging QR codes or web site addresses that would encourage customer’s to peruse online. While not furniture related, I’d suggest the vendor add QR codes to posters and sales flyers to provide smart phone and table users with engaging sales feature/benefit videos and capture permission-based email addresses for future promotions.
Best new yet – tires on done. Actually less than an hour – Good job.
