Size Does Matter

Jan 17, 2012 in Articles by Mike Ryan | No Comments

I remember the very first computer I ever used at a health club in a professional capacity. It was an ancient IBM XT with one of those monitors that displayed nothing but green text on a black background. She was a beauty. It was state-of-the-art at the time and would have cost the club owner a small fortune. I have many happy, geeky memories of that machine, one of which was how the monitor was only 12” or so, and was as deep as it was wide and weighed more than my bench warm-ups.

Due to the awkward size of the computer- which was purchased well after the reception area was shopfitted- it had to sit in the only spot on the reception desk it could fit- on the bench facing away and to the right from where members entered. Members got to enjoy the wonderful experience of having the receptionist turn their back and walk off just to sign them in. I got into the habit of including the phrase “please excuse me while I scan your card,” to all members who came in, even those who’d been regulars for some time.

Fast forward to today and things are a little different. Monitors may come in many different screen sizes, but they’re all very thin compared to the old CRT’s. As such, positioning a monitor in its optimal location on a reception desk is more about what’s most convenient to the receptionist. Although we have much greater choice in monitor sizes these days, you should be aware that size matters, and not all sizes are necessarily appropriate or optimal for your club. It is tempting to go big when purchasing a new computer or monitor. The price difference between say a 21” monitor is negligible to that of a 24” or even 26” (especially when included as part of a new computer purchase).

Some issues to be aware of

Here are some issues you should keep in mind when considering a monitor purchase for your club.

• The larger the size, the easier it might be for members to catch glances of the screen and perhaps see private information of other members or confidential club information. Creative positioning of the monitor can mitigate this of course, but it limits your options. Or worse, catch the receptionist playing around on Facebook or playing Solitaire (don't scoff, I have seen it so many times in clubs it's not funny).
• Larger screen sizes often have much higher resolutions. This can make it difficult for some staff to read easily. Also, higher resolutions require a beefier computer to drive it.
• Larger screen sizes can block the view of the receptionist, making it difficult to keep an eye on incoming traffic. Worse, they might make it difficult or annoying for a member or prospect to have an unfettered view of the receptionist when talking to them (eye contact is critical to in-person customer service).
• Larger monitors afford you less flexibility in where they can be placed, positioned and angled. There are other placement considerations as well. For example, most monitors have what’s called a VESA mount built into them. These allow the monitor to be mounted via screws onto articulating monitor arms and wall mounts so that they can be swung around or positioned in ways that can’t be achieved when using the built-in stand. Many modern reception desks take advantage of this capability. If you go with a larger monitor, this becomes more difficult as larger monitors equals greater weight, and many articulating arms are rated for a certain size and weight (to be sure, larger monitors are certainly supported, but expect to pay a nice premium). Also, if the ‘embedded’ look is your thing whereby the monitor is actually built into the reception desk similar to what you see in some retail shops, then smaller is definitely more practical.
• The cursor is a slippery little beast. Relative to the overall size of your screen, it appears to be a tiny little dot hidden in a vast ocean of colour and images. How many times have you experienced the situation where you step away from your computer, and when you come back to it, you find yourself madly shuffling the mouse in a desperate attempt to find where on the screen the cursor is. You strain your eyes looking for the little flash of movement so you can re-orient yourself and get back to work. This happens to me almost every time I use my 27” iMac. As the monitor size increases, so do the occurrences of the ‘mad mouse shuffle’. Now think about how that looks to a member who is waiting for the receptionist to look up their details on the computer. It’s a small thing but in branding and perception, the small things matter.

My recommendation?

In general, unless you have very specific requirements I recommend going with a smaller monitor, around the 21” to 24” range for your reception or any customer-service area (such as a sales desk). Try not to go any higher for the reasons I outline above. Besides the modest cost saving you’ll enjoy, you will have much greater flexibility in where you can place the monitor, you won’t block your receptionist or member’s view and the display will generally be a little more practical. Remember, your reception desk layout as it is today might not be how you want it tomorrow, and you need the flexibility to change the location of your computer.

Larger monitors have their place, and I personally find larger monitors for my general office and development work a dream (and I have four!). But writing in my office is not the same as looking up member details at reception. And while many clubs multi-task their receptionists so that they’re doing administrative tasks like writing timetables, sending welcome letters and so on, never forget the primary and most important job of the reception computer- to service the member.

Frustratingly, many ‘turn-key’ systems you buy from large chain retailers force a particular monitor size on you (as part of the bundle) and you don’t get a choice (another reason I generally recommend against buying your systems from places like Harvey Norman or Dick Smith- but that’s a topic for another day). But if you have the choice, go for the smaller monitor. You’ll get less geek cred, but you’ll be happy you did.

If you have any other tips or suggestions on monitor sizes for the reception area, I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Have fun!




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Tagged Advice, Beginner, Monitors