While you rely on your receptionist to keep your appointments in order and deal with guests who arrive without warning, your receptionist relies on you to provide an ergonomic and comfortable work station. Before investing in a new front desk, consider these four essential ergonomic features.
Correct Work Height
Most reception desks feature two separate heights, with a lower work area for the receptionist and a higher area for the visitors to stand at as they check in or talk to the receptionist. Regardless of how high you want the front section to sit, the height of the main work station should be right around 30 inches. This is the most ergonomic standard height, but for the best level of comfort, look for a reception desk that allows for height adjustment of just the rear desk area.
Monitor Adjustment
Unless your receptionist only works on a tablet or just uses the phones, you'll need to fit a computer monitor onto the rear work area without blocking the guests' view of your greeter. For the best results, try an adjustable swing arm monitor mount so that the receptionist can position the screen perfectly to see his or her work while maintaining a clear view of the lobby and making eye contact with new visitors. This can prevent neck strain from a monitor that is too low in an attempt to save space and maintain a clear line of vision.
Minimized Reach
How often does the receptionist need to reach up to the higher section of the desk to retrieve forms, point out building directions, or handle objects provided by visitors? If your greeter has a lot of hands-on work to do over the entire desk, make sure it's as shallow as possible and there's not too much height between the two sections. Unnecessary depth causes your receptionist to lean over the desk and potentially strain a neck, leg, or back muscle, while a very high desk makes it necessary to stand up constantly to reach the upper deck.
Centralized Controls
Finally, consider desks that include all the equipment your receptionist needs to do all of their job. By minimizing the need to travel back and forth to a separate fax machine, copier, or phone system, you're cutting down on repetition injuries and limiting the amount of space you need to make ergonomic. With advanced wireless systems, a receptionist can control an entire building without leaving their desk.
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