5 Commercial Interior Signage Customer Complaints & How to Solve Them

Alongside Other Interior Branding Elements, Commercial Interior Signage is a Critical Customer Touchpoint

Unfortunately, subpar implementation can lead to frequent customer complaints and comments that employees may be unable to explain, adding a strike to each interaction the customer has with your brand until the issues are resolved. Ensuring that your commercial interior signage is properly executed and maintained will keep this brand asset performing well for your organization for years to come.

Here, we’ll explore five of the most common complaints customers have with commercial interior signage. These apply across all industries, as interior signage is a common asset used in entranceways, lobbies, foyers, conference rooms, sales areas, and a number of other spaces where customers engage with products or meet with employees. Along the way, we’ll provide recommendations and solutions that proactively prevent or quickly resolve these problems.

Integrated to interior branding: Learn more about Branded Environments and how they all start with beautiful commercial interior signage.

What to Watch for with Commercial Interior Signage

1. Brand Inconsistency

At times, commercial interior signage is designed and implemented without regard to the rest of the space. For example, a company might implement a metallic CNC-machined letterset sign for a reception area, but the rest of the space features tones and materials that don’t align with this look. Likely, the company wanted a luxurious look but didn’t consider other materials and design options for the sign. The result is a jarring brand asset that breaks consistency with the rest of the interior space, calling it attention to it in a negative way.

• Solution: Commercial interior signage should be designed and manufactured to keep it aligned not only with the interior of a facility but also with colors, materials, and other features that best reflect the brand.

2. Poor Commercial Interior Signage Illumination

One of the most eye-catching features of commercial interior signage is illumination. A flawlessly crafted interior sign with backlighting immediately draws the eye and adds a high touch that communicates elegance and refinement. However, poor electrical implementation can lead to poor backlighting performance. Additionally, the color and brightness of the backlighting must be considered. You don’t want the backlighting to be so strong that it overpowers the sign itself or is too bright to look at. On the color side, having a colder tone on a warmer background could create a dissonant effect.

• Solution: Proper electrical installation of brand assets ensures that they work properly for your brand 24/7/365. Learn more about electrical installation for brand assets and why it plays such an important role.

3. Ineffective & Inefficient Lighting

Just as backlighting impacts the appearance of commercial interior signage, so too does the interior lighting that should be putting your sign in the literal best light possible. Interior lighting systems are crucial for a number of reasons such as employee productivity and health, but their design is also important for creating the right environment and feel. A great deal of research has been done on the impact of lighting on customers in sales situations. Since commercial interior signage is often implemented in spaces frequented by customers, it follows that lighting on and around this brand asset must be carefully planned and implemented.

• Solution: Lighting influences everything — from whether a customer makes a purchase to whether they decide to even enter your building. Learn more about the impact of lighting on your brand.

4. Integration & Installation

We touched on this lightly above, but it’s crucial that commercial interior signage is treated as part of a greater interior branding strategy. Whether you’re in the retail, financial, restaurant, or any other industry, your interior spaces deliver on the promises made by exterior branding, so it’s critical to get them right. Factoring in other brand elements such as vinyl graphics, kiosks, wraparounds, wayfinding signage, fixtures, furniture, and more will go a long way in maximizing the customer experience. Additionally, ensuring that interior signage and other assets are all properly installed protects them and prevents any unwanted situations where assets fail or customers experience them underperforming.

• Solution: A properly planned and executed interior brand strategy creates a truly compelling experience for your customers that results in deeper connections, increased loyalty, and improved revenue.

5. Condition

A final customer complaint that many brands unfortunately experience comes about as a result of negligence. Hey, we get it — companies get busy and proactive maintenance of brand assets such as interior signage falls to the side or is forgotten completely. However, the last thing your brand needs is for an investment such as a backlit interior sign to flicker or go out, a beautifully designed vinyl graphic display to start peeling or get worn down, and other interior brand assets to stop looking their best. A preventive maintenance strategy is crucial for ensuring these assets remain looking their best at all times.

• Solution: Whether it’s monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually, having these assets inspected for proper operation and cleanliness will keep customers satisfied. Learn more about the benefits of a brand-focused preventive maintenance program.

Build a Better Brand Environment with Stratus

For decades, Stratus has been helping some of the largest, most recognized brands in the country take their interior spaces to the next level. Working with organizations across numerous industries, our signage, energy, and maintenance teams develop complete solutions spanning every asset in a space — from floor to ceiling and everything in between.

We build these solutions at the program level, ensuring that every step — from design and manufacturing to shipping and final installation — is managed thoroughly. And with our national network of more than 4,000 field partners, we can execute your Brand Environment program wherever you operate — whether you have a few dozen locations or a few hundred (or more!).

If your commercial interior signage hasn’t been receiving the TLC it needs to maximize customer experiences, our team is ready to help. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our brand implementation capabilities.