Having worked in recruitment for years, I have been fortunate enough to have had some quite interesting client visits.

(These events mostly occurred more than 8 years ago)

I have had client meetings in buildings over 400 years old; I have been to rooftop offices with 360-degree views around London and offices with panoramic views across Kent and the English Channel. I’ve visited amazing Art Deco offices, hop kiln offices, as well as scary, dark basement offices. I’ve driven several times to grim-looking industrial estates to visit covert data centres as well.

I’ve attended meetings in extremely cold offices and ones that were unbearably hot; Also experiencing ultra-modern office blocks bereft of character. I’ve sat in space age pods for 2; Visited luxury restaurants and hotels as well as earthy cafes.

I’ve been to offices with table tennis tables, pool tables, chaise longues (with staff napping), seen huge TV screens that wouldn’t be out of place at a Box Park event, seen a full bar in place for staff to drink at the office, and also offices with a big slide from the mezzanine floor to a ground-level ball pit (in case you couldn’t use the 10 steps, or felt the urge to be a kid again)

I’ve had a client meeting sat on a very large and soft bean bag (whilst wearing a suit and ending up with my knees higher than my head), sat on extremely dainty but uncomfortable 150-year-old wooden chairs, as well as ultra-modern, expensive, uncomfortable chairs. I’ve stood up for entire client meetings, presented to strangers, and presented to friends.

The one that always sticks out for me is the very ugly office building (used exclusively as the IT department data centre), which had a large purpose-built tropical fish pond in it.

It was not a glass fish tank, or indeed a tank of any size or sense, but an actual purpose-built brick fish pond (correct me on this, but from memory it looked about 10-12 feet square if anyone ever remembers this at their workplace).

There were exotic fish and lilies in the pond, too. It was very decadent considering the client concerned.

It looked so out of place in a poorly lit office, which had very small/ no windows in it to let in outside light.

I do know it was one of the first things to go when something called ‘cost-cutting’ came along.

Have you had any unusual lasting memories of client visits?

The picture below is from a painting by a very good friend of mine – Keith Siddle – but reminded me of fish in the actual pond they had!