When was the last time you sat in your own waiting room? 
Never? Take a seat in there – or just think about it if you’re not at your office.
What’s it like? Is it bright and welcoming? Are there things to do?
When clients come in to have their taxes prepared, you want the entire experience to be pleasant – this includes time sitting in your waiting area. While it’s true that no one likes to wait, making your clients more comfortable will help the wait not feel so long and enhance the overall experience.
Here are some ways you can make your office more inviting.
A friendly face that greets them immediately
Do you have a receptionist or a desk that faces the front door? No one wants to stand around wondering if anyone is going to immerge from a cubicle to greet them. Make sure there is someone in sight to immediately acknowledge and assist all clients coming in the door.
Offer beverages
Coffee is always a nice touch – whether it’s a carafe up-front or one of those single-cup machines, consider offering coffee to guests when they arrive. You can also offer tea, water or sodas. There doesn’t have to be a drinking area up-front, it can be offered to clients upon arrival, but a drink station up-front is nice so that clients can help themselves.
Up-to-date magazines
It’s nice to offer guests magazines to read while they are waiting but no one wants to read last year’s news. Make it a point to update your magazines throughout the season.
Cleanliness
Here’s an important question: what’s the state of your office? Now is a good time to give it a deep cleaning and replace torn chairs or worn-out furniture. The overall look and feel of your office are important – it represents your business and how you operate. Make a plan to clean the office before clients start coming in and keep it clean throughout the season.
Music
Music is great for ambiance and also helps cover the noise of typing, conversations, phone calls, etc.
Snacks
Want to really go the extra mile? Offer snacks to guests. It just adds an extra level of customer service. Plus you never know who’s skipped lunch and will be unbelievably grateful for the snack!
TV
Television is always a great distraction for people waiting – especially if they have children with them.
Kid toys
Speaking of children … it’s not uncommon for parents to have the kids with them when they come into your office. If you’re a parent you know, sometimes it’s just unavoidable. Having toys available for children to play with while they are in the office makes the experience much more pleasant because they have something to do.
Offer a drop-off service
Finally, if guests have items they need to drop off and don’t need assistance, why make them wait for their preparer to finish up with a client or come to the front? Make it more convenient for them by offering a drop-off service – either through your receptionist or through a mail slot. Offering a drop-off option for items to be dropped off before or after business hours makes it easy for clients to get their paperwork in whenever they have time.
Do you go the extra mile to make sure clients are comfortable? Is your tax office inviting? Leave a comment and tell us how.
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