So how are those days in the office working out for you? As hybrid working settles down to a way of life, the reduced amount of time actually spent in the office means every minute counts – and that can bring some frustrations.
One of the most common gripes is not being able to find the right space to work, meet or collaborate with colleagues. It was always frustrating wandering round the office looking for a desk, but now it can destroy a pleasant and healthy employee experience.
The top 6 room booking frustrations:
So what’s the answer to all of these frustrations? Simple – a good room booking system. Here’s how room booking software soothes each of those frustrations.
1. It’s boring and laborious to make a booking
One of the most significant frustrations with old-fashioned booking methods is the complex and time-consuming process involved, often having to rely on others.
A room booking system, such as room reservation software, simplifies this process by offering a user-friendly mobile app that allows users to check availability, select suitable rooms, and book them with just a few clicks.
It eliminates the need for lengthy phone calls, back-and-forth emails, or physical paperwork, saving time and effort for both the booker and admin staff who once had to spend time sorting out the booking.
Did you know: A recent study showed that organizations with a room booking system reported a 40% reduction in time spent on managing bookings and a 35% increase in overall booking efficiency.
2. I can’t find the space I need
All office workers have been there – doing laps round the office looking for somewhere to sit. Not efficient, and not the kind of seamless working experience everyone is looking for today.
With a room booking system such as Rendezvous by NFS, users easily find the space they need – whether a room, breakout space or desk – using a graphical floorplan on their room reservation software app.
It’s a simple and effective tool that makes their working day easier. And as Gartner’s Digital Worker Experience study discovered recently, digital workers satisfied with workplace applications are far more likely to want to stay and grow in their current organizations.
3. I need to collaborate with colleagues, but I don’t know when and where they are in the office.
It’s incredibly frustrating to make the commute to the office only to find the colleagues you need for collaboration are not there that day.
The best room booking software solves with a colleague search facility – you can even book a desk where your teammates are working that day.
4. My room has been double-booked
Can you hear the sound of teeth gnashing? That’s you, when you turn up at the room you think you’ve booked, colleagues in tow, only to find someone is already using it. Grr. But it’s more than annoying, it’s inefficient and costly for both you and the organization.
Using a room booking system solves the problem by making it impossible to double-book a space. Even if you’re setting up a meeting in locations around the world, the room reservation software will locate and book spaces, then inform all meeting attendees of the arrangements. If anything changes, the workspace management system automatically lets everyone know, so there can’t be any mix-ups.
Of course, each organization has its own specific requirements and booking policies in place.
A room booking system allows administrators to set up customizable booking rules that align with the organization’s needs. This could include defining maximum booking durations, setting advance booking windows, or implementing approval workflows. This makes sure that bookings stick to established guidelines, so frustrations arising from conflicting or non-compliant bookings are reduced.
Did you know: Organizations that implemented customizable booking rules experienced a 50% decrease in booking conflicts and an 80% increase in compliance with company policies.
5. It’s difficult to book the resources I need such as VC and catering
Ever got to your hybrid meeting only to find that the room doesn’t have video conferencing equipment. Yup, it’s all too common.
Luckily, the room booking system you use can help. Rendezvous workspace management technology, for instance, allows you to add equipment such as VC, AV and services such as catering in the same transaction when you book by app.
By integrating these resources into the booking process, users can easily request and reserve all necessary items for their meeting or event, eliminating the need for separate communication channels and reducing the risk of overlooked requirements.
It’s easy to see why the Gartner Digital Worker Experience survey found that these days, the CIO has more influence on positive employee experience than the CHRO…
6. I’m struggling to find space for an ad-hoc meeting
Not all meetings are planned in advance, of course, and those ‘water-cooler moments’ in the office often prompt the need for an ad-hoc meeting to take advantage of spontaneously generated ideas.
Room booking systems should be set up to help out in this situation, not only by allowing mobile app location and booking of space, but also by integrating with other technologies such as meeting room display panels. These show at a glance when a room is going to be available, and the user can also book the space from the panel. Easy!
Integration with other important systems is a big feature of the best room booking systems, such as Rendezvous, and mean your room booking system becomes the heart of an ecosystem to support your entire hybrid workforce.
Conclusion
A room booking system can be a game-changer when it comes to addressing frustrations associated with the booking process.
By streamlining the booking process with mobile accessibility, providing real-time availability, offering customizable booking rules, managing resources, integrating with calendars, these systems simplify and enhance the booking experience for both users and administrators.
If you want to eliminate the frustrations of traditional booking methods, consider implementing a room booking system tailored to your organization’s needs. Embracing technology can lead to increased productivity, improved resource management, and a smoother booking process overall.
