Enhance Your Lobby Experience with Room Dividers

As an appointment-based business, you know waiting rooms and lobbies are a necessary part of day-to-day operations. But what if they could be more than just an anxiety-inducing, loud, open-space holding pen? Well, say “goodbye” to waiting room blues and “hello” to fantastic first-impression fortresses! 

We’re talking about transforming your waiting area and lobby into a welcoming, engaging environment that sets the stage for a positive patient or client experience. Transform your waiting area with these pointers on how to make your space a place that visitors will remember for the right reasons.

Understanding Your Brain on Waiting

We’ve heard the saying, “Good things come to those who wait,” but for many, waiting creates anxiety. In fact, one study says the “waiting room can cause us stress, anxiety, and even sheer anger.” Across specialties, the average wait time for a doctor in the U.S. is around 18 minutes. In the same study, it was reported that 84% of people believe wait time is either “somewhat important” or “very important” for their overall doctor’s office visit. And 30% of patients revealed they’ve walked out of an appointment due to long waits. 

But let’s break down what’s happening in your brain during wait time. There’s a part of your brain called the amygdala that acts like a security guard. It’s on high alert, scanning for danger. This can make you feel anxious or scared while waiting. Another part, the cerebral cortex, is the thinking center. When you wait, it can get stuck overthinking the situation, leading to a cycle of worry: you focus too much on the wait, imagine the worst-case scenario, and then feel even more scared and anxious.

Protecting Privacy

Patient experience is everything. It should be comfortable for all kinds of patients, from families with young children to older adults who might need more assistance. Open floor plans may be popular, but in waiting areas, they create an overwhelming lack of privacy. Versare room dividers can offer refuge to those seeking a moment of peace before their appointment with sound-absorbing qualities and by blocking out visual stimuli. The Hush Screen™ Portable Partition is a great option for break up spaces in between chairs, while larger dividers like the Room Divider 360®, StraightWall™, or Operable Wall™ are great for improving traffic flow and navigation, as well as to separate the reception area from the waiting area.

Creating Different Zones 

Sectioning niches — reading and quiet nooks, children’s activity space, and TV areas — will allow patients to choose the area that’s right for them and to enjoy their wait in a more enjoyable setting. 

For instance, in the adult section, calming visuals and varied, comfortable seating can foster relaxation. Children’s zones can amp up the energy (like the kids themselves) with colorful dividers, toys, and games to create a stimulating space and reduce boredom. And because room dividers and partitions are easy to install, they can be removed or reconfigured at any time when the waiting room needs change.

Mitigating Germs

Lobbies and waiting areas see a lot of traffic, and with that, germs. A well-placed divider can act as a physical barrier, corralling foot traffic and potentially reducing the spread of airborne germs. Room dividers, particularly those made of acrylic, polycarbonate, or vinyl, like MediPanels™ and MediWalls™, are easy to clean. Even as we ease out of the COVID-19 pandemic, sanitization and the mitigation of the spread of germs will continue to be a top well-being priority.

Give Your Waiting Area Its Own Checkup

So, whether it’s a doctors’ office, urgent care center, vet clinic, job interview, DMV, or another appointment-based entity, feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, boredom, and more can and will happen. Regardless of where the lobby or waiting area is, taking steps to make the time spent there more pleasant will lead toward a better overall experience for the patient or client. Play off of these pointers by browsing our website for our lineup of products, reaching out to Sales@versare.com, or calling 855-323-8126 to enhance your lobby experience for all.