Why 71% of Workers Would Return for the Right Experience

The UK office market has been asking the wrong question. For five years, we’ve obsessed over “how many days” workers should be in the office. But new research reveals we should have been asking “what kind of experience” would bring them back voluntarily.

The Voice of the Customer 2025 report, based on a comprehensive analysis of 900 office workers nationwide, uncovers a truth that challenges everything the sector thought it knew about post-pandemic workplace dynamics. The headline finding: 71% of workers would increase their office attendance for the right workplace experience. Not mandates or policies. Experience.

The Great Disconnect

While 80% of office providers believe they deliver superior service, only 20% of their customers agree. This isn’t a minor miscommunication. It represents a fundamental disconnect that explains why office attendance remains stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels despite billions invested in workplace upgrades.

The gap exists because the industry has relied on vanity metrics from Google reviews and internal surveys that capture only the extremes of customer sentiment. The satisfied middle ground, representing the majority of users, remains silent and increasingly willing to vote with their feet.

Consider what workers actually value most: high-speed internet (47%), printing services (38%), and private offices (35%). Not the climbing walls, meditation pods, or artisanal coffee bars that dominated pre-pandemic fit-outs. The dramatic resurgence in demand for private offices particularly stands out, signalling a wholesale rejection of the open-plan orthodoxy that defined office design for two decades.

The Psychology of Place

The research identifies three distinct personality types among office workers, each requiring fundamentally different workplace strategies. Wellness Seekers, comprising 39% of the market, represent both the largest opportunity and the greatest risk. Currently attending office only one to three days weekly, they show the highest potential for increased attendance but also the greatest likelihood of permanent departure if their needs aren’t met.

Innovators (23%) already embrace flexible working and will pay premiums for superior experiences. Maximisers (28%) provide reliable, consistent occupancy but expect systematic

efficiency and professional environments. Understanding these segments transforms development strategy from guesswork to science.

This segmentation drives a new framework for office formats. Neighbourhood spaces in suburban locations serve Wellness Seekers prioritising work-life balance. Club environments in innovation districts attract Innovators seeking recognition and networking. Hub formats in urban cores provide the comprehensive facilities Maximisers require for full-day productivity.

The Tipping Point Discovery

One finding stands out for its immediate practical application: the 60-70% tipping point. When this proportion of team members is present, approximately 90% of workers find value in attending. Below 60%, workers question the purpose of being there. Above 70%, fear of missing out drives voluntary attendance increases.

This transforms space planning from individual desk allocation to team-based clustering strategies. It explains why some floors buzz with energy while others feel abandoned, despite similar occupancy rates. Smart landlords are already reconfiguring spaces to facilitate team clustering, creating “neighbourhoods” within buildings that can achieve critical mass even when overall building occupancy remains lower.

The implications extend beyond design. Lease negotiations increasingly focus on flexibility to consolidate or expand based on team presence patterns rather than individual headcount. Some providers now offer “team day” pricing that incentivises coordinated attendance over scattered individual bookings.

Investment Priorities Redefined

The research challenges conventional investment wisdom. Location, while still important, no longer trumps experience in driving occupancy and rental values. Workers show remarkable willingness to commute further for superior workplace experiences, effectively expanding catchment areas for well-designed spaces.

Technology infrastructure emerges as the primary investment priority, but not in the way many expect. Rather than flashy digital displays or app-controlled everything, workers want reliable, fast, frustration-free basics. They want Wi-Fi that works instantly, printers that don’t jam, and video conferencing that doesn’t drop.

Acoustic control represents another critical investment area consistently undervalued by developers. Noise levels rank as a top-three complaint across all personality types. The open-plan office may have reduced fit-out costs, but it created an acoustic nightmare that actively drives workers away.

The Managed Office Moment

The shift from traditional leasing to managed office solutions accelerates as occupiers demand service, not just space. Managed office locations in London have grown 895% since 2019, according to data from Valve. In 2024, 78% of Central London requirements under 5,000 square feet requested managed or fitted options.

This represents a shift from passive landlord models to active operational real estate. Occupiers increasingly view office space as a service to be consumed rather than an asset to be leased. They expect hospitality-standard service, instant scalability, and someone else to handle the complexities of workplace management.

Looking Forward

The research points toward a market bifurcation. Premium, experience-led spaces will command both higher rents and longer commitments, with 66% of workers willing to accept extended terms for superior experiences. Commodity office space, regardless of location, faces continued pressure as workers simply refuse to attend.

For developers and investors, the message is clear: the era of “build it and they will come” has ended. Success requires a deep understanding of customer psychology, sophisticated segmentation strategies, and the courage to specialise rather than trying to be everything to everyone.

The full Voice of the Customer 2025 report, available at spacestoplaces.co.uk/customer, provides a detailed analysis of customer segments, amenity preferences, and strategic frameworks for capitalising on these insights. For an industry at an inflection point, it offers something invaluable: a map forward based on what customers actually want, rather than what we think they should want.