May 16, 2023

Doctor's Office and Hospital Waiting Room Ideas

Waiting Room - two people sitting in a waiting room - Atmosphere TV

Nobody likes to wait. Whether it's at the doctor's office or in a hospital waiting room, waiting seems to be universally disliked. In fact, psychology research has shown that people generally overestimate how long they've been waiting, which can subconsciously create a negative perception of their experience with the business. What if there was a way to decrease a customer’s perceived waiting time, without actually shortening the wait? That's where Atmosphere comes in.

The Problem with Waiting Room Entertainment

While you may think that cable television is a sufficient source of waiting room entertainment, it's actually a big part of the problem. While we can all agree that there's definitely a time and place for Judge Judy, blasting it at 8:00 am in your doctor’s office waiting room can be irritating and stress inducing, especially to patients who may be feeling rushed or under the weather. Keeping your TV on mute may prevent your guests from becoming frustrated with the volume, but it won't keep them entertained. Without audio, your customers can't follow the storyline and will revert back to impatiently scrolling through their phones. Even if they've only been in your waiting area for a few minutes, once the customer thinks - "I've been waiting for so long," or "how much longer do I have" or "did they forget about me" - their perception of the time spent in your business becomes increasingly negative.

Waiting Room - two doctors talking in a medical room - Atmosphere TV

How Atmosphere Enhances the Hospital Waiting Room Experience

Simple - time flies when you're having fun. Our short-form, audio-optional content helps improve waiting rooms because, well, it's short-form and audio-optional.

Short-form

  • No storyline required: You don't need context to become immersed in the content. Our compilation of viral videos, funny clips, sports and news are the perfect way to keep guests laughing and engaged rather than thinking about how long they've been waiting. Plus, our content is updated daily, so every guest gets a unique and entertaining experience regardless of when they come in for their appointment.

Audio-optional

  • Customers who want to distract themselves with TV can do so without annoying the other customers who don't. Putting cable television on mute may satisfy the people who were annoyed by the audio, but hinder the experience of the customers trying to follow along. Atmosphere keeps everyone happy.

Happy customers are better customers. We're not saying your waiting room will be a sunshine and rainbows, but it certainly won't be a place of boredom and resentment. Make sure your customers leave their appointment thinking about the great care they just received, not about how long they had to wait before they received it.

Replace cable with Atmosphere. Boost customer satisfaction in the waiting room and watch retention and referral soar.

Sign up for Atmosphere today or call (512) 675-1080 to learn how you can get started!