Author: Rap Industries

2016 Blogs

How You Can Effectively Utilise Partitions to Boost Your Customer Service

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 20, 2016

Call centres are becoming increasingly integral cogs for various businesses as they adapt from being tarred with the image of being telemarketers. Instead, call centres have become the foremost way for businesses to communicate with their customers. Despite the rise of social media, customers still feel considerably more comfortable in getting solutions to their problems by speaking to a member of staff over the phone. To get the very best out of your staff when interacting with customers, it is crucial to ensure they are happy in the first place and guaranteeing they are in a comfortable environment when trying to find solutions for customers.

You can invest heavily in training staff for customer service, but this all will mean very little if they are unsatisfied with the environment they work in which inevitably filters down to your customers. The best way to ensure this does not happen is by designing a comfortable office layout which does not reduce staff to sitting in cubicles which are laid out like a cattle market. Instead, innovative design combined with careful use of colour can help staff to appreciate the space they work in, thereby subsequently resulting in better interactions with your customers.

A recent study showed that by having a well-designed layout then equated to longer calls and more satisfactory conversations with customers. One way of achieving a design such as this is with a Delta Acoustic Screen which combines the practicality of a partition screen in an open office with acoustic qualities to trap and absorb ambient office noise. The ideal part of partition screens is that they are portable and future proofed, which means they can adapt to your office whether you continue to grow or whether you need to create temporary space during different parts of the year.

As well as design, another subtle influence which can affect the mood of staff in call centres is the colour which surrounds them. Stereotypical partitions in call centres are generally grey, ugly and generally depressing which is one of the reasons call centres have generated such a poor reputation. With Delta Acoustic Screens, they feature a fresh and stylish design and are available in 20 different fabric colours so you can mix the colours to boost the mood in the office. In particular, shades of green are very well suited to a call centre environment as they prevent eye fatigue which is an increasingly common issue for staff looking at a computer screen for hours at a time.

Delta Partition Screens are designed to add a modern twist to the environment which is wrongly considered to be a grind. By rejuvenating the office space, you can invigorate the mood of your staff which has then been shown to boost relations with your customers. While it is an investment initially, the payoff can be significant by strengthening relations with clients which further down the line can lead to even more.

If your call centre could benefit from a revitalised team atmosphere and you would like to know more about how Delta Acoustic Screens can help you to achieve this, then you can get in touch with our team of advisors by calling 01733 394941 or by dropping them an e-mail at sales@rapind.com.

2016 Blogs

How Introducing Partition Screens Can Improve Productivity in any Work Space

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 18, 2016

Free standing acoustic office screens with a unique cloud shape

Partition Screens are commonly found in office environments where the benefits of them are fully utilised, but that is not to say they cannot be equally as effective in other environments. Especially with acoustic partition screens, their ability to absorb sounds makes them ideal for a variety of work environments where loud noises can disrupt the work flow. Furthermore, the stylish design is ideal for modernising and bringing colours into a range of different work spaces. While the effects of partition screens can be subtle, simply by providing a bit more peace, quiet and privacy for people, you can significantly improve their efficiency.

Open office layouts are the obvious beneficiaries of partition screens as the volume of the office can very easily distract workers. In addition to this, the partition screen is great for adding a degree of privacy, allowing staff to get on with work without the thought of colleagues peering over their shoulder.

Because of both of these factors, this makes acoustic screens perfect additions to classrooms and schools where encouraging children to study can often be an issue. The incorporated acoustic foam is great for soaking up idle chat, meaning other students are less likely to be distracted and can get on with their work. With a Delta Acoustic Screen from Rap Industries, we manufacture them in your choice of 20 different fabric colours to integrate with the design of the classroom. It is even worth considering the mood effects that colours can have as cool colours encourage calmness whereas purple and yellow can inspire creativity meaning they can adapt to each subject classroom.

These qualities are similarly effective in libraries and reception areas where noise is required to be kept to a minimum. The acoustic foam included with the Delta Partition Screen absorbs noise by trapping the sound waves and stopping them from reverberating around the room. This means that when there is chatter in the library, it is retained in the partition screen rather than being scattered around the room. This is equally the case with reception areas where you are looking for the volume of telephone conversations to be kept down, especially when visitors and clients are arriving.

Delta Acoustic Screens are produced in a range of different colours to suit multiple environments. For example, installing blues or greens to partition walls in libraries is a great way to add a calm, soothing effect to settle readers. Furthermore, while the funky design of the partition screens is effective in a modern office, it is equally compatible in schools due to the fun and easy on the eye style. The Delta Acoustic Screens are very effective when increasing concentration, which makes them ideal additions if you are looking to encourage your work force or students to be more productive.

If you would like to know more about which environment the Delta Acoustic Screens are adaptable with, then you can give our team of advisors a call on 01733 394941 or by e-mailing sales@rapind.com.

2016 Blogs

Why Your Open Plan Office is Holding You Back in 2016

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 15, 2016

When the design of open plan offices became established in the 1950s, it was heralded as a revolutionary way to transform offices into a melting pot of ideas which would ultimately generate innovative solutions in an environment that fosters comradery. 60 years on and the reality is these open offices have become like a bull pen which encourage a negative sense of competition by pitting colleagues against each other. Rather than collaboration, it can create a state of rivalry which suits some, but punishes others. This has led to a rise in popularity of partition and acoustic screens which are designed to maintain the open office layout while introducing an element of privacy.

A recent study by Steelcase revealed that 85% of people working in open office environments can’t concentrate due to distractions, while 95% of those said they valued privacy highly when at work. The result is that the workforce is unmotivated, unproductive and overly stressed. While in theory an open office encourages staff to interact more with their peers, instead it restricts them from fully concentrating on the work at hand. The Delta Acoustic Screens developed by Rap Industries tackle this directly by introducing partition walls to the open office layout which gives staff a sense of privacy while the panels are also designed to absorb idle chat from across the office.

Affecting concentration is not the only downside of the open office either as subsequent studies have revealed a plethora of issues stemming from integrating all of your staff together. Canada Life discovered that by collectively having staff work together has led to a spread of illness and infection which has increased by 70%, inevitably leading to a loss in productivity. Furthermore, there is no way to guarantee that conversations are productive, and the sheer amount of chatter in a busy office is an integral factor which leads to distracting members of staff. For this reason, the Delta Partition Screens are equipped with acoustic foam to soak up ambient office noise to help staff to concentrate.

A final factor holding some members of staff back in an open office has been the distinction between extroverted and introverted workers. Extroverts thrive on group work which the open office layout is designed to promote. The frenzy of this group work allows extroverts to freely speak their thoughts and connect with others. Alternatively, introverts operate in the complete opposite way by excelling during solo work with very little interaction. The result of an open office is detrimental for these members of staff as the layout restricts them to working next to others and it is these who are heavily impacted by high volume levels in the work place.

Delta Acoustic Screens are ideal for situations such as these as they create a divide in the open office layout which gives staff their own space while also leaving the option for your team to bounce ideas off of each other. During the design process, we focused on introducing acoustic foam to absorb idle chatter and to help staff to concentrate in these environments. By tackling the little things in the work place such as privacy, noise and personal space, you can expect it to go a long way by giving members of staff the space needed to complete work at their own pace.

If you are interesting in knowing more about how Delta Acoustic Screens can help to make your open office layout more productive, then you can get in touch with our team of advisors on 01733 394941 or by e-mailing sales@rapind.com.

http://www.steelcase.com/insights/articles/privacy-crisis/http://www.canadalife.co.uk/media/47471/perfectofficepressrelease.pdf

Uncategorized

New Year, New Office and how you can spark creativity in 2016

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 13, 2016

Cloud shape acoustic dividers from the Delta range

It’s a new year which means it is a great time to make a fresh start. Rather than letting business stagnate, the start of the new year is a great opportunity to rejuvenate and then expand your organisation in 2016. A great, cost effective way to achieve this is by revitalising your office environment to inspire your staff in the new year. Long gone are the days of simple white washed offices, instead you can inject new life into your organisation by incorporating an ingenious new design to your office. Delta Acoustic Screens from Rap Industries are designed to do exactly this with their fresh and unique design which is assembled with practical solutions in mind.

There are multiple factors to consider when designing a new office layout in order to encourage creativity, productivity and a positive wellbeing. This means consideration for allowing as much natural light in as possible as it has been attributed to creating a better quality of life due to it being beneficial to combating fatigue. The effects of the design of the office are often subliminal, but it is the little things which matter most as a happy member of staff is always more likely to make substantial contributions rather than an irritated one. This all goes hand in hand as a happier member of staff is therefore free to be more creative and produce more valuable contributions.

In recent years, the importance of colour in the workplace has risen to prominence through a series of studies which have highlighted the positive role certain colours can play. The effects are often subconscious but different colours can help to inspire different emotions amongst people, meaning they can be tailored into your office design to bring the best out of your staff. Certain colours such as blues and greens are ideal for evoking a sense of calmness and serenity to assist in de-stressing due to how we associate them with nature and the outdoors. Meanwhile yellows are associated with stimulating creativity while moderate amounts of reds encourage emotion and passion.

With the Delta Acoustic Screen, we manufacture and produce them in 20 different colours to perfectly suit the personality and strategy of different departments. This opens up the ability to mix and match colours in the office to emphasise the qualities of different members of staff. The psychological impact is not the only benefit though, as we assemble each with acoustic foam to provide a practical solution to reduce increasing noise levels found in open plan offices. This combination allows you to strike a balance in the open office environment between encouraging collaboration but also tackling the issue of competing noise levels from different departments.

Re-designing the office is a great way to inject life into your staff but also into any new clients or visitors attending the office as it demonstrates the modern, forward thinking nature of your organisation. The best part is that adding colourful partitions is considerably more cost effective than moving office or creating private offices. With these factors in mind, your company can move into 2016 with a fresh perspective and new drive to deliver quality services.

If you would like help with suggestions of how to rejuvenate your office environment in 2016 then you can get in touch with our team of advisors who can explain the options available. You can reach them by calling 01733 394941 or by e-mailing sales@rapind.com.

Uncategorized

How Best to Divide Office Space to Get the Most Out of Your Staff

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date January 8, 2016

Getting the balance right in an office environment is crucial to maximising efficiency and productivity. There are so many variables to factor in to creating a suitable environment which allows staff to apply themselves and work while also encouraging teamwork and relationships. Office environments have come a long way in recent years to incorporate team work and creativity rather than reducing workers to the daily grind. The Delta Acoustic Screens from Rap Industries have been developed to help that balance by absorbing excess noise in the office while leaving the space for staff to collaborate together when required.

Straight delta acoustic office partitioning

Large offices in particular tend to be very noisy which as many of you will know, is a massive distraction when you have a deadline to meet. That compiled with the depressing grey walls can cause demotivation and stagnation for staff. Rather than creating a shushed environment which can slow momentum, there is a way which you can harness the comradery of staff all while reducing the frustrating ambience of office chatter. With office partition screens, there is no need to construct a new wall or segregate everyone into tight offices.

The introduction of partition screens to the office has revolutionised large spaces. Without the need to install a permanent wall, partition screens help to reduce overflowing noise pollution while also being a great way to inject some life into a dated office environment. What partial screens as opposed to floor to ceiling screens can achieve, is the open office feel while noise pollution is brought under control. This is incredibly beneficial as it allows for collaboration in moderation without the risk of staff interrupting each other. By giving a sense of privacy, workers can become more efficient with their work while still being integrated together.

We have found office acoustics to be an integral factor in work performance in the work place. In large offices, finding quiet times for complex and challenging work is significant. This said, there is a fine line between complex work and regular work, which is why it is important to strike a balance between creating a non-disruptive environment while still encouraging team work and relationships. This is the aim of the Delta Acoustic Screen, to combine a practical way to dissipate office chatter while leaving the potential for staff to interact.

Delta Acoustic Screens from Rap Industries are designed to address many of these issues in the workplace including noise reduction, privacy and aesthetics. By accompanying the partition with acoustic foam, this helps to soak up a great deal of chatter in the office which helps staff to concentrate when it really matters. The Delta Acoustic Screens incorporate a fresh appearance to liven up any office environment. With a selection of 20 different fabric colours available, they can be designed to integrate seamlessly with any office environment.

If you are interested in knowing more about how the Delta Acoustic Screens can help to get the most out of your staff, then please get in touch by calling 01733 394941 or by e-mailing sales@rapind.com.