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The first impression is everything in today’s retail, hospitality and public environment. This first impression really colors the entire customer experience. For some, it is as simple and yet so important as walking through a door. Although it’s easily forgotten, a business’s front door is often a potent symbol of the company itself, especially whether or not that company is inclusive. Automatic sliding doors, once hailed as a luxury of the future, were now becoming standard practice. Now they are more than just a convenience, but increasingly an unspoken welcome that tells customers much about how they do things around here and whether all visitors of any ability are really welcomed and valued.
Easy Access for All Your Visitors
The supreme advantage of automatic doors is providing a smooth, unblemished threshold. Conventional doors, such as heavy swing doors or unwieldy revolving ones, may be severe barriers for many people. The automatic sliding door is really our silver bullet in tearing down these barriers and making it genuinely inclusive.
Put yourself in the shoes of a wheelchair or mobility scooter user. Getting into a typical door needs accuracy (in finding the knob or handle), power to open it (if a pull one) and coordination to enter before it shuts. This labor can be strenuous, awkward and unsafe. The operation of an automatic door, however, is fluid and predictable, ensuring a safe and dignified passage with no physical effort or assistance. This independence is key to a building being accessible, enabling rather than confronting users before they have even made it inside.
The advantages go well beyond wheelchair users. Families with strolled children get a great boost from automatic doors. They can make their way from the parking lot into the store without having to fold a stroller or wrestle with a door while juggling an infant. And for those of you who lug around baby bags and sling books in your backpacks or trundle mail carts or hobble on canes and walkers, the difference in getting around is nothing short of miraculous. The threshold is no longer an obstacle course, but rather a seamless passage.
Safety & Convenience for Seniors
Seniors value automatic doors because of the improved safety and convenience. Strength, mobility and balance can deteriorate with age. Heavy doors are a pain to open and you never know when someone is going to hit you with one from the other side as well. All of those risks are eliminated with an automatic door, an ambient, controlled opening where your pace is respected. This is a business that's put thought into their whole customer base, even the old codgers who are by and large very valuable customers.
A great entrance solution is the difference with which a universal design standard is established. It promotes the ability for all people to use their environment to the greatest extent, without having to be specially designed or adapted. When a store puts in automatic doors, the message is unmistakable: We welcome everyone.
Enhance the Customer Experience with Hands-Free Accessibility
In today’s business world, customer experience is the new market leader. It’s every interaction someone has with a brand, and the physical entrance may be most critical. Automatic entrances are a significant factor in enhancing that experience through concepts such as touchless convenience, the practical and psychological benefits of hands-free entry or hand hygiene.
Logically, speaking hands-free is about as good as it gets. It maintains the foot traffic flow, particularly in peak times. At the busy shopping center or in hospitals or at airports, automatic doors prevent human traffic jams of those struggling with manually operated doors. And that is a more efficient and enjoyable environment for everyone. We don't make customers wait in line just to walk through the door, eliminating frustration and starting their visit on a good note. It is smooth sailing, good for customers and it´s also great for business as crowd control can be managed more effectively.
The psychological damage is just as severe. The door opens for you, a small but significant courtesy that makes the customer feel appreciated. Compare this with the slight-friction of actually needing to open a door (which, even if only slightly onerous) is still something you make the person do. By taking this small thing off the table, businesses reduce cognitive load and start with a relaxed environment.
In addition, the sanitary benefits of touch-free service have gained attention. Consumers are touch-averse in the era of Covid-19 like never before. Door handles sure are germy and bacteria filled. No hand is needed to push an automatic door. They furnish a cleaner, safer environment that makes customers feel safe about their health. This is especially important in venues such as grocery stores, pharmacies and hospitals, when health and hygiene are a necessity. Providing hands-free entry shows businesses that are prioritizing their customers’ safety; reassuring them and making a lasting impression.
This elevation of experience shapes positive brand impressions. A customer who feels silky-smooth safe and secure entering their favorite business will be more likely to be in a good frame of mind for their entire visit. They're more likely to stick around — check out and even buy. Thus, the automatic door becomes not only an access facilities but a strategic customer satisfaction and retention weapon.
Use with Smart Technology for Easy Operation
Automatic door technology has come a long way with the innovation of smart sensors to become intelligent entrances that make access easier than ever. Contemporary automatic doors are complex systems dedicated to convenience, safety and energy efficiency - the ideal choice for any future-minded business.
Sophisticated sensor systems lie at the core of this technology. Previous models depended on motion sensors to pick up movement directly in the path of the door. Today’s systems are much more robust. They may incorporate virtually any combination of technologies, such as presence sensors to keep the door open for slow-moving users and safety sensors that response to obstructions in the door's path preventing accidents. Radar technology is implemented on some systems, so that pedestrians can be detected at a greater distance in order to open the door as and when they need it.
This savvy also includes energy management, a key concept for any commercial facility. Automatic doors open and close when they’re needed, and the seal created when the door closes is very efficient at preventing indoor air from escaping, or outdoor air from getting in. This greatly decreases the demand placed on heating and ventilation (HVAC) systems, resulting in large energy savings and a lower carbon footprint. For businesses, it equates to reduced operational expenses and a deeper allegiance to sustainability—that’s a win-win.
It's all programmable too, so that means you have customize-able modes of operation as well. The doors may be in a fully automatic mode at peak business times. During periods of low traffic or when the business has closed, they can be held in a secured "locked" position and/or limited to one-door operation to save energy — yet still permit egress through use of a pushbutton actuator as part of an access control system. This flexibility is able to maintain security and efficiency while not breaking promises of accessibility.
Looking forward: Integration with other building automation systems will be huge. Automated doors may be linked to central control panels, so facilities managers can be made aware of usage patterns and alerted for maintenance in real time. The predictive maintenance aspect of this is priceless: keeping things up and running for the people who need them most, and not having an unexpected malfunction cause access barriers when they don’t have to.
