Change ideas

[railstop]

My wife and I have acquired the computer repair business which I have been working for 10 years. We've moved counters to be more productive, added "display boxes" to our displays for more content (its a large shop) and changed a few other minor things. I am looking for ideas to clean up from a 70's look to something more current (something the last owner loved but customers loathed). I'm working on painting the walls to our colors and the trim to our alt color.

I need ideas to maximize change to increase customer experience with minimal cost in less than 30 days as I am leaving for the Navy March 2 2017, so this all needs to be completed asap.

My wife will be taking care of books and check-ins, I have 1 employee that will serve as "me" while I'm away for 6-9 months, we also have employed my teenage daughter to help with customer service during this time. She's been trained very well so far. We are our town's only decent shop for repair of approx 115k people, besides the typical CL hacks and small shops that come and go nearly every month. We typically have more than 30 checked in computers/devices at any given time, busy times are over 60-70. When the virus/malware/rasomware wave hits, we get hit fairly well.
I want to make sure we don't start to decline while I am away, I believe the painting, reorg, and suggestions will help.

Thanks for any help, and please be kind, we are new to owning this.
The pic I've posted is the entry area, I'll add another pic of the rest of the area. We can't change the carpet, the pic is also only 1/3 of the front end. This is also after the move. The open door behind the counters on the right leads to the tech area and storage room. You can see my color test in the back. Orange is too bright, grey is exactly what we want trim to be.

 

[Krynn72]

Doesn't look bad as is frankly. A good paint job would really make it pop. Maybe a pair of these things a couple steps away from the counter.
https://i.imgur.com/m67xSHO.jpg
Could also set up a TV with some advertising on it.

 

[railstop]

Doesn't look bad as is frankly. A good paint job would really make it pop. Maybe a pair of these things a couple steps away from the counter.
https://i.imgur.com/m67xSHO.jpg
Could also set up a TV with some advertising on it.

Funny you should mention the TV idea. That is also one of the things I just mounted. I am using Xibo digital signage on it and a few other screens around. Was actually thinking about some of those product stands but I think things like that will have to wait. We do have a wall with cables and misc product.

 

[Justin Heath]

Laminate wood flooring would make it look a little more modern, and some fresh paint. Maybe get rid of the older style cloth covered chairs.

Edit - Attached a picture of my store

 

[HCHTech]

Depending on the previous owner's reputation, you might consider some kind of "Under New Management!" signage. It depends on whether you thing this would be a positive or negative.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Few quick tips based on the image:

1.) The American Classifieds paper holding is distracting, I would remove (best option) or move it perhaps near where the chairs are if it's 100% that you will be keeping it.

2.) The chairs are rather dated. If you have many elderly customers and they need to sit, a nice comfy office type chair or perhaps a small nice couch would fill that space nice. The only things that worries me about the couch idea is your color scheme with the carpets may not go well color wise, but several black comfy office chairs will work good.

3.) Your two white counters have some marks underneath on the black border near the floor where it looks like the wood is showing up. Perhaps a nice paintjob to the bottom border would work nice, or at least some touch up to those areas.

4.) The slat wall to the left has a not too bad color, but the slat shelf behind the white counters is a very 70's beige color. That needs to be painted as well as the wall it's installed on (off white).

5.) Get rid of the orange curtains in the window. Instead, you can get some really simple privacy layer you can put over the glass to frost it if you don't want eyes preying in.

6.) Once you settle on your color scheme, replace all the socket covers and light switch covers that would be visible in the showroom to a color that matches well. That could be black, white or even silver/chrome if that works.

7.) Try and eliminate clutter, so extra handouts, bills, signs etc should be kept to a minimum. I count at least 10 signs/cards etc on both desks combined. Try and keep it to business cards, basic supplies such as stapler, tape, pens.

8.) Also move the label printer under the counter if possible.I see the debit machine next to it, if that's going to stay there, find a way to neatly route the wires.

9.) That floor mat for customers to wipe feet on looks like it's due for a replacement. When you replace it, match it to your color scheme.

10.) There looks to be either product or flyers on the very left shelf by the chairs. Eliminate if possible. If you need to keep some, move it down to the last slat on the wall so it's easier to access and have all your pamphlets in one place. An idea for this slat wall is to place vintage computer parts almost how you would see items in a museum, it acknowledges the past without becoming the past. You can get some more slat wall shelves and place items with little paper signs like you see at art galleries with a date and the estimated retail when it first was produced.

11.) Slat Wall @ Center - Place common retail products such as external hard disks, routers, WiFi cards, latest GPU etc. Keep CPU's and system specific items in the back and simply have your staff quote from the system.

Hopefully this helps. Many things are small items, but they make a big impression when folks walk in.

Please post more pics so we can see the rest and give some tips.

 

[railstop]

Few quick tips based on the image:

1.) The American Classifieds paper holding is distracting, I would remove (best option) or move it perhaps near where the chairs are if it's 100% that you will be keeping it.

2.) The chairs are rather dated. If you have many elderly customers and they need to sit, a nice comfy office type chair or perhaps a small nice couch would fill that space nice. The only things that worries me about the couch idea is your color scheme with the carpets may not go well color wise, but several black comfy office chairs will work good.

3.) Your two white counters have some marks underneath on the black border near the floor where it looks like the wood is showing up. Perhaps a nice paintjob to the bottom border would work nice, or at least some touch up to those areas.

4.) The slat wall to the left has a not too bad color, but the slat shelf behind the white counters is a very 70's beige color. That needs to be painted as well as the wall it's installed on (off white).

5.) Get rid of the orange curtains in the window. Instead, you can get some really simple privacy layer you can put over the glass to frost it if you don't want eyes preying in.

6.) Once you settle on your color scheme, replace all the socket covers and light switch covers that would be visible in the showroom to a color that matches well. That could be black, white or even silver/chrome if that works.

7.) Try and eliminate clutter, so extra handouts, bills, signs etc should be kept to a minimum. I count at least 10 signs/cards etc on both desks combined. Try and keep it to business cards, basic supplies such as stapler, tape, pens.

8.) Also move the label printer under the counter if possible.I see the debit machine next to it, if that's going to stay there, find a way to neatly route the wires.

9.) That floor mat for customers to wipe feet on looks like it's due for a replacement. When you replace it, match it to your color scheme.

10.) There looks to be either product or flyers on the very left shelf by the chairs. Eliminate if possible. If you need to keep some, move it down to the last slat on the wall so it's easier to access and have all your pamphlets in one place. An idea for this slat wall is to place vintage computer parts almost how you would see items in a museum, it acknowledges the past without becoming the past. You can get some more slat wall shelves and place items with little paper signs like you see at art galleries with a date and the estimated retail when it first was produced.

11.) Slat Wall @ Center - Place common retail products such as external hard disks, routers, WiFi cards, latest GPU etc. Keep CPU's and system specific items in the back and simply have your staff quote from the system.

Hopefully this helps. Many things are small items, but they make a big impression when folks walk in.

Please post more pics so we can see the rest and give some tips.

All great suggestions! I am actually planning on removing the slat panel by the front door, on the left in the image. All trim will be painted this week and all walls next including slat panels. Counters will be painted also. I do have a section of shelving in the other part of the shop with empty product boxes. We already keep most items in the back. We've had a few thefts before. All computers are lock to the display tables.

Really wish the carpet could go, the prop owner doesnt want that though. He'll let us do anything we want, except that. Super cheap rent, large building and its on one of the busiest corners in the town. Can't argue too much

As far as the chairs, we do get a lot of older customers. Problem is with comfy chairs, it invites people to stay for an hour or longer, even when we've told them it will take some time, or it's going to be a few hours. I am thinking of a bench to replace the chairs