A good place for waiting
Waiting is the lot of the powerless.
With the worsening traffic situation (no, I won’t write about that) those who can still come on time due to proximity to a place or the fortunate happenstance of a miraculously light traffic find themselves waiting for their appointment. In the scheme of things, it is the favor-seeker (or patient) that comes early to an appointment. Waiting is the lot of the powerless.
The look of places where one is asked to wait gives a clue on what to expect. The waiting room of a company reflects its staying power and efficiency. Often, only messengers get to experience waiting rooms for paying bills and delivering documents or packages. Still, any person needing to be physically present for a transaction as in medical procedures, or waiting for a meeting must evaluate the waiting room. Here are some things to check out.
Does the foyer have a receptionist? The presence behind a nice counter of a warm body, usually female, pleasant-looking, engaging, and well-informed, projects a favorable impression. The receptionist (or “Director of First Impressions”) provides a face to the organization. She directs traffic by asking one’s business and referring the one waiting to the party that can help him or her out.
In handling queues, say for private banking requirements like the withdrawal of dollars from one’s account, the receptionist applies the rule of “first come, first served” to ensure fairness and consistency. This simple method ensures orderliness and avoids conflicts arising from line jumpers. The application of queuing theory now involves being given a sequential number and then waiting for that number to be called.
Is there a nice logo behind the counter? This signage requirement adds to the classy décor. (It’s also serves as a photo wall for selfies.) It assures the visitor that he is in the right office. Especially for doctors, this necessary sign avoids embarrassing if not fatal mistakes — oh, I thought you were the one requesting for a sex change. Sorry, we have to sew this thing back on.
Is the place well lit? Dark waiting rooms are a warning signal that the organization has an opaque personality. On the other hand, too much light approximating a bowling alley is sure to lead to expectations of low prices and the mass market appeal of a fast food outlet. The lighting should be clear enough to be able to decipher signs and perhaps read a book in one bright corner. It should not provide enough luminescence to see the faded hair dye of the person in the other sofa.
What about piped-in music? Music is not as ubiquitous as it was in the sixties, requiring even a music provider for elevators (Muzak). Instrumental music, at this time Christmas melodies are favored. Other acoustic wallpapers employing sound effects like raindrops on a bamboo grove or the mating call of sperm whales, are associated with certain types of establishments that spread warm oil on your naked back.
Establishments like executive search firms and private banks prefer to have a music-free zone. This silent development probably arises from the preeminence of the iPod. Most customers prefer silence or their own music delivered through the ear pods. It cannot be avoided that leakage from a loose earpiece or music with volume turned up too high annoys unintended listeners — hold on, I’m coming.
Does the staff in the waiting room speak in hushed whispers? Receptionists have to be trained to speak softly, even when answering phones. If those in the reception room find piped-in music intrusive, what more the chatter of the staff? — and then he put the sausage where? Ha, ha, ha. Extraneous noises need to be kept to a minimum and the “atmosphere of an undiscovered tomb,” as Henry Higgins puts it, needs to be maintained.
Are itinerant vendors kept out? Nothing makes a waiting room déclassé more than loitering hawkers. Even the waiting room for OFW seminars can be pulled down in the dignity scale with somebody selling stacked up grilled banana on a stick. Such retailers are frequently corpulent and attired in a style fitting for a provincial bus station on Holy Thursday.
The waiting room is the corporate equivalent of a status symbol. An arowana fish swimming in a big tank is impressive especially when the receptionist alerts the coffee server in a stage whisper that the water has to be filled again… with Evian.