The complete interview to read:
Why do companies need a phone booth in the office today?
Many companies have noticed since returning from home office that expectations for the office have changed. Employees experienced at home how focused and quiet they can work. In the office, however, privacy, retreat options, and spontaneously usable meeting rooms are often lacking.
This is exactly where a phone booth solves a central problem. It creates a protected space for phone calls, video calls, hybrid meetings, or short confidential conversations.
Typical challenges in the office include:
- too few meeting rooms
- high noise level
- lack of privacy
- spontaneous calls at the workplace
- disruptions for focused teams
- too few flexible retreat areas
A good phone booth is therefore not a gimmick. It is a practical tool for modern work environments.
How do you notice that an office without a phone booth is reaching its limits?
An office without enough retreat rooms quickly becomes noticeable. The noise increases, employees make calls directly at their workstations, and hybrid meetings disrupt the environment.
This is particularly evident in open-plan offices. If meeting rooms are constantly booked, employees move to workstations, corridors, or informal zones. This puts a strain on everyone: those who need to talk and those who want to work in a focused manner.
A phone booth creates a flexible solution here. It can be used spontaneously, requires less space than a traditional meeting room, and at the same time improves acoustics in the office.
How has collaboration changed since home office and hybrid work?
Since home office and hybrid work have become part of everyday life, the role of the office has changed significantly. The office is now less a place for pure individual work. Instead, employees increasingly come to the office to exchange ideas, work together, and conduct meetings.
At the same time, areas for focus and privacy are still needed. This exact mix is crucial:
- Areas for collaboration
- Quiet places for concentrated work
- Rooms for hybrid meetings
- Flexible retreat areas for short conversations
- Acoustically protected areas
A phone booth supports this new way of working because it is flexible and creates additional meeting quality without major renovations.
What questions should you ask yourself before buying a phone booth?
Before buying a phone booth, companies should not only look at price and design. What is decisive is what usage is really needed in everyday life.
Important questions are:
- How many people usually use the booth?
- Is it primarily about phone calls or meetings?
- How often do hybrid meetings take place?
- How many booths does the team need?
- Where is the booth located in the office?
- How close are workstations to it?
- What are the acoustic requirements?
- How important are design and customization?
A common mistake is to plan too large. Not every conversation needs a classic meeting room. Often, single-person booths or small meeting booths for two people are sufficient. Decisive is the actual meeting frequency and the average group size.
What role do acoustics, ventilation, light, and ergonomics play?
For a phone booth, there are features that simply must be right. These include ventilation, lighting, and power outlets. These points are basic requirements for a phone booth to be comfortably used in everyday life.
Particularly large differences exist in:
- Acoustic insulation
- Price
- Design
- Customization
- Materials
- Certifications
- Flexibility
Acoustics are one of the most important buying criteria. Not every booth is truly soundproof. Companies should carefully check whether it is a sound-absorbing or sound-insulating solution and which values are actually certified.
Are phone booths really soundproof?
Not all phone booths are soundproof. Many models are sound-absorbing, meaning they significantly reduce noise but do not completely isolate it.
That's why it's worth taking a closer look. Terms like soundproof, sound-absorbing, or sound-insulating are not always used precisely in the market. Verifiable values, certificates, and a direct comparison in the showroom are important.
Anyone who wants to place a phone booth next to workstations should pay particular attention to the acoustic performance. A cheap model can quickly reach its limits here.
Does a phone booth need ventilation and electricity?
Yes, a good phone booth needs ventilation and power connections. Without ventilation, it quickly becomes uncomfortable during longer conversations. Without electricity, important functions such as lighting, charging ports, or technology for video calls are missing.
The basic equipment should ideally include:
- integrated ventilation
- good interior lighting
- power outlets
- USB or USB C ports
- stable work surface
- comfortable seating or standing options
These points should be fulfilled by every reputable phone booth.
Phone booth or meeting booth: What's the difference?
A phone booth is primarily suitable for individuals. It is ideal for phone calls, video calls, and short hybrid meetings.
A meeting booth is larger and designed for two or more people. It offers more flexibility because it can accommodate both phone calls and physical meetings.
The decision depends on the usage:
- 1 person: telephone box or phone booth
- 2 people: small meeting box
- 4 people and more: meeting box
- regular team meetings: larger meeting solution
Those who want to remain as flexible as possible should consider whether a two-person box is more sensible than a purely single box.
Which phone booth models does kibemo offer?
Kibemo works with three different lines so that companies can find the right solution depending on their requirements, budget, and design preferences.
Silent Room: spacious and highly customizable
The Silent Room is a particularly spacious meeting box and is well-suited when design and customization are important. An advantage is that surfaces and decors can be matched to existing office furniture.
The Silent Room is particularly suitable for companies that:
- are looking for a visually fitting solution
- want a lot of space in the box
- wish to customize surfaces
- need multiple seats in one box
For very high acoustic requirements right next to workplaces, other models may be more suitable.
Chatbox: strong acoustics with good value for money
The Chatbox is particularly interesting for companies looking for very good acoustic values. It is designed for strong sound insulation and offers a good balance between performance and price.
It is particularly suitable when:
- acoustics are a priority
- a solid standard model is sufficient
- customization is less important
- the box should be functional and efficient
The Chatbox is deliberately kept more standardized but offers everything necessary for concentrated calls and meetings.
Space: Premium solution with maximum flexibility
The Space is the premium solution in the range. It impresses with its design, high-quality acoustics, and many customization options.
A special advantage is magnetic walls. If a surface wears out or the office is redesigned later, wall panels can be replaced.
Further strengths include:
- high-quality appearance
- freely selectable surfaces
- magnetically changeable walls
- modular expandability
- integrated castors for moving within the room
- high adaptability to changing needs
Particularly exciting is the modular expandability. A two-person box can later become a larger solution without having to buy a completely new box.
How does ordering and assembling a Phone Booth from kibemo work?
The Phone Booths are planned and ordered according to customer needs. The average delivery time is around six to eight weeks.
The process is deliberately kept simple:
- Clarify needs and model
- Define equipment and surfaces
- Place order
- Receive delivery date
- Plan assembly
- Have the box assembled on site
- Use immediately
In most cases, Kibemo handles the assembly with trained personnel. This ensures the box is professionally set up and can be put into operation immediately.
What mistakes should be avoided when buying a Phone Booth?
The market for phone booths is large. The price range is enormous, and not every box meets the requirements of a true meeting box in everyday use.
Common mistakes include:
- deciding solely on the cheapest price
- not checking acoustic values
- not comparing certifications
- underestimating hidden costs
- not factoring in assembly and logistics
- ignoring warranty questions
- buying boxes without testing them first
It is particularly important to compare apples with apples. Acoustic values, materials, construction quality, connections, and service vary greatly.
Even supposedly cheap import solutions can end up being expensive when logistics, assembly, warranty, and administration are added.
What feedback do companies give after using a Phone Booth?
The feedback is usually very positive. Many companies quickly realize how much a single phone booth can improve everyday office life.
Employees gain more privacy and can make calls more concentrated. At the same time, the noise level for the rest of the team decreases. This improves productivity on both sides.
A good telephone booth therefore not only creates an additional room. It changes the quality of collaboration in the office.
What is the most important tip before procurement?
Before purchasing, a structured comparison is worthwhile. Companies should carefully examine criteria such as acoustics, size, use, flexibility, design, certification, and overall costs.
Even better is a visit to the showroom. There, differences can be experienced directly. Especially with acoustics and spatial perception, numbers don't tell the whole story. Only when you sit in a box do you notice if it really fits.
A phone booth is an investment in productivity, focus, and quality of work. Therefore, it is worth seeking advice and testing different models.
Conclusion: A phone booth belongs in modern offices
Today, a phone booth is an important component of modern office planning. It creates privacy, reduces noise, and enables spontaneous calls or meetings without major renovations.
It is crucial that the box fits the intended use. A single telephone box may be sufficient for focused work and video calls. A larger meeting box creates additional flexibility for teams.
By carefully checking acoustics, quality, assembly, and long-term use, companies can avoid mispurchases and create real added value for employees and the company.














