No matter how hard you try to keep your office flow moving, a chunk of your patient’s time will be spent in the waiting room. And we’ve all been in that waiting room before. Sometimes it’s a pleasant experience, and other times it’s not. If one thing is sure, it’s easy to spot who thought about customer experience in the waiting room and who didn’t. Here are a few tips to make sure your waiting room is one that patients won’t mind sitting in.

Update reading material weekly

To improve the coziness of the office, it’s as easy as keeping all the reading materials current and relevant. By taking the time to update the things your patients are reading, you’ll be ensuring them that you’re paying attention to their comfort level in the waiting room. It’s also important to introduce your patients to updated medical information so make sure to switch out any medical journals or flyers with current versions as quickly as possible.

Invest in some new chairs

There are few things that will turn a waiting room experience further south than old, uncomfortable chairs. If your customers have back problems, poor chairs in the waiting room will aggravate them – you’re here to help your patients, not harm them! A whole waiting room filled with recliners is probably a bit much, but try and spare the extra money for a few *especially* comfy chairs. Your patients will definitely thank you for the effort.

Open the blinds often – and keep your office nice and lit!

Brightly lit offices are more inviting and having a few extra lights or opening a few windows during the day can help keep your patients feeling welcome. Additionally, you should consider looking into mood lighting to create a more peaceful atmosphere for your patients. Placing small lamps around the office will definitely help improve the mood – especially so if you leave it up to the guests to turn them on or off. Adjustable blinds are also a great idea to include! Your patients will appreciate the ability to control the amount of light coming in and out the room during their wait.

Some other ideas you can try are: providing a remote control for the television, giving your guests temporary access to the WiFi, or playing some subtle and soft music. All of these suggestions, of course, can be tailored to meet the wants and needs of your patients. Get some feedback from your customers as they leave – ask them how their visit was. You’ll be surprised how many will be willing to give some free advice on how to better accommodate future visitors.