11 strategies for elevating the client experience

If you work at a law office, consulting firm, or anywhere that regularly hosts guests onsite for important meetings, then you know building strong client relationships is critical. Not only is this a good look for your brand, it’s a necessary step to secure business. After all, clients want to be sure the firm they choose will prioritize them—and giving them a VIP experience while they’re in the office is a great way to show them that you do. So, where do you start? In this post, we’ll share 11 different strategies for elevating the client experience so anyone who steps foot in your office feels like a VIP. We’ll show you how to ensure they have a smooth and welcoming arrival, and feel impressed throughout their visit.

Why does client experience matter?

While a great first impression can make them feel welcomed, impressed, and at ease, a poor first impression can do the exact opposite. Your client experience sets the tone for how guests perceive your office, employees, and organization. By taking intentional steps to improve the client experience, guests can focus on the purpose of their visit. Plus, a great client experience can influence your company’s referrals, retention rate, and overall reputation.

11 strategies for elevating the client experience

Intending to offer a great client experience isn’t the same as executing on a well-thought-out plan. Using the tips below, your team can establish a plan for making sure anyone who visits your office feels welcomed and important.

1. Prepare clients for their arrival

You might think that the key to making a great first impression with clients is having a beautiful lobby or grand meeting rooms. But really the first impression starts way before a client arrives onsite. Often overlooked, an invite to the office is the first and easiest way to make a great first impression. An impressive and effective invite isn’t only beautiful, it’s informational. To prepare clients for their visit, use your visitor management system to:

• Invite clients to pre-register for their visit: This enables them to provide their information and sign your NDA before they step foot in your office. It also gives them plenty of time to read and review any important documents before signing.
• Send directions, parking instructions, and pertinent arrival information: This ensures your clients don’t stress about finding a parking space near your office and allows them to have a seamless entry so they get to the purpose of their visit.

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2. Ensure an easy and sleek sign-in

Once a client arrives at the office, make it easy for them to sign in and receive an access badge for their visit. Remember to:

• Ditch pen and paper sign in: For clients who don’t pre-register for their visit in advance, signing in using a sleek iPad with your branding is the next best option. When an invited visitor types their name on the iPad, their sign-in details will automatically populate.
• Print branded visitor badges: Give each client a custom access badge to wear during their visit. As an added touch, you can print WiFi credentials on each one so they can easily access your company’s internet. This will make clients feel welcomed, while making it easy for employees to identify unfamiliar faces.

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3. Share your company’s WiFi

To have a productive visit, clients often need to connect to your company’s internet. Yet, sharing your one-and-only WiFi password means folks can stay connected even after their visit has ended. A better, more secure option is to issue each client unique WiFi credentials.

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4. Keep your lobby clutter free

A cluttered, disorganized lobby is a sure way to make a bad impression. For the same reason you’d clean your home before having guests over, it’s important to keep the entryway to your office tidy, too. Make a point to clean this area on a regular basis and be sure to store packages properly so they don’t pile up and become unsightly.

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5. Personalize your welcome

Have your team review the pre-registration list at the start of each day so they know who’s scheduled to come into the office and the reason for their visit. This way, your front desk staff can greet each client by name and be prepared to accommodate their specific needs.

“Address each visitor warmly and by name. This will help them feel welcomed, seen, and like the entire visit doesn’t have to be about business.” – Dave Park, Workplace manager at Envoy

6. Offer a beverage and snack

One quick way to make clients feel at home is to offer them a drink or snack. People are impressed by small gestures and will appreciate a white-glove service experience that makes them feel important and taken care of from the minute they walk in the door.

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7. Help clients with their coats or bags

Clients often arrive juggling items like coats, umbrellas, bags, or luggage. Offer to take these items off their hands or show them a safe place to put them during their visit. This safeguards their belongings, helps prevent potential hazards, and keeps your office free of clutter.

8. Don’t keep clients waiting

It’s never a good look to keep important clientele waiting. Let their hosts know as soon as they arrive so they don’t have to wait around unnecessarily. This will ensure guests don’t feel crunched for time or frustrated before their meeting even starts.

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9. Show them around the office

If a client arrives early for their appointment, give them a brief tour of the office. Taking the time to walk them through your office is a great way to show off your company’s facilities and make clients feel more comfortable during their visit. You can also share helpful information like the location of the bathrooms and areas in the office pertinent to their visit.For example, if your company is a consulting firm, you might make a point to walk your client down the hallway that highlights some of your major projects. You could even point out the ones that might pique their interest, based on what you know about their organization.

10. Keep conference rooms tidy and well-equipped

Tidy up your conference rooms and be sure they have the right equipment to enable a productive visit. Speak with the folks who invite clients to the office most often and find out what they need to have a seamless meeting. This might include video conferencing equipment, whiteboards, a monitor for presentations, or even a mini fridge to stock beverages and snacks. In some cases, it might also include soundproofing panels to ensure client confidentiality.

Find a workplace platform with conference room scheduling software to help hosts find the right meeting room for their needs and book it in advance.

11. Drive continuous improvement with client insights

After their visit, send your client an email thanking them for coming in. This is a nice way to conclude their visit and an opportunity to ask clients to complete a short survey about their experience. You’ll show them you care about their feedback while also collecting important insights into what folks think about your team’s hospitality.  You should also review your workplace analytics to understand which days of the week clients typically visit the office, who invites clients onsite most, and which clients visit most often. With this information, your team can proactively plan to accommodate clients and customize their experience.

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A top-notch client experience is a leg up for any business—and you play a critical role in building one for your organization. Review the tips above and decide which ones make the most sense to implement. Then, it’s time to get to work. As you do, remember that this work is not only creating a great experience for every client walking through your doors, it’s making a marked impact on your business.