"We wanted a French company with a very good price-quality ratio"
RATP Real Estate, the property subsidiary of the RATP Group, recently installed Work With Island booths in its Paris offices. After a few weeks of use, we returned to their offices to interview M.Joly, the branch manager, about the use of the acoustic booths in his offices.
How many people work in your offices?
We have 70 desks, which allow us to accommodate the RATP property management team and all the internal services, such as the human resources and culture, IT or finance teams, as well as the entire urban planning and project management team.
What was the situation before the booths arrived?
We're in a collaborative space, so we had few places to isolate ourselves when we were on the phone. People would take calls at their desks or isolate themselves in common areas.
What problems did this cause?
There were two main pain points in the office.
There was no private space for the person taking the call, and it was also disruptive to colleagues working in the same environment.
So we decided to set up a pod with the people and culture team.
Why did you choose Work With Island acoustic pods?
Great value for money, but above all flexibility, agility and responsiveness in delivering the pod. We also wanted to work with a company that manufactured the pods in France.
How would you describe your experience with Work With Island?
My experience with Work With Island has been excellent. I had a dedicated contact person right from the start who helped me from ordering to installing the pods.
The delivery and installation part also went very smoothly. There was a lot of responsiveness, flexibility and agility. The pod was installed in a matter of hours with minimal disruption to the office floor. We were up and running within an hour of delivery.
Have the pods solved the initial problems?
All the pain points have disappeared. Now, when people need to take a call, they've got into the habit of isolating themselves in the pod. It is now part of the team's daily routine. The cubicle is used regularly by all users throughout the day.
How do the pods complement the other meeting rooms?
Meeting rooms are often used by two or three people because they are larger rooms. Now we can at least have privacy for phone calls in a smaller space that suits our needs.
To whom would you recommend Work With Island?
I would recommend Work With Island to anyone who works in an open plan office, but also to those who need more flexibility in the use of their shared office space.