A quiet oasis in an open office: Halo office pods at Alfa
The installation of our first Halo office pods put the finishing touches on the offices of Alfa Accountants and Advisors in Zwolle, which were taken into use in January 2023. And the people at Alfa are very happy with the pods. They see them as a real asset in their new flexible workplace. ‘We really see the pod as the future,’ says Alfa Director Wilma Gomarus. ‘We became particularly aware of this because they were installed at a later stage. We worked without them for two months before they were installed and our people were saying that they really missed having a quiet place to make a call.’
Perfect for calls, no ambient noise
At Alfa, the pods are mainly used for phone calls or short consultations with clients. Wilma says, ‘With us, the rule is actually, if you have a phone call that lasts longer than 5 minutes, walk away from your workplace. You can then continue your call in the pod in peace and quiet, and you will not be bothering others.’ That’s not the only reason for using the pods at the firm, however: staff are also handling confidential information after all. ‘When you’re on the phone with a client, you don’t want them to overhear other client names or other information,’ Wilma explains. ‘Moreover, in the pods you are not distracted by ambient noise. That’s great for both the caller and the client, because you can fully focus on the conversation. We are really happy with the acoustics of the pod.’
The Halo office pod: a conscious choice
At Alfa they consciously chose the Halo office pods, partly due to the fairly open space for the department they have created in the office building. ‘We want to be able to call or take part in a short video meeting,’ says Wilma. For meetings with several people, two and four-person rooms with permanent walls have been created at the Alfa offices. The building also has ‘Cores’, furnished workplaces that can be used for longer periods, but which still afford peace and privacy.
Clear communication and short lines
Because Alfa was the first company to have the pods installed, we still had some testing and checking to do, with regard to the installation manual for example. At Maars, we feel it’s important that we inconvenience the client as little as possible and that everything is clear. ‘There was always clear communication from Maars, and we knew where we stood at all times. Good accessibility and short lines, that’s what we like to see. We were aware that we were getting the very first pods, but if there were any problems they were resolved right away. And we’re super happy with the result: the pods are brilliant!’
About Alfa Accountants and Advisors
Alfa Accountants and Advisors Zwolle is part of the national Alfa Accountants and Advisors. They are strongly involved in local small and medium-sized businesses and offer broad financial knowledge locally, thanks to the office-around-the-corner principle: always nearby.
