Today we’re taking a closer look at another one of Joan’s remarkable customers - Monsieur TSHIRT. Monsieur TSHIRT is a Bordeaux-based company that has morphed from a T-shirt business into a personalized gift-giving powerhouse over the last decade. Led by Co-Founder and CEO Vincent Péré, the company has taken gift customization to the next level, allowing customers to craft truly unique gifts.
In this conversation with Vincent Péré, we delve into Monsieur TSHIRT's journey of transformation and explore the role of Joan in reshaping their meeting culture.
Meeting room woes before Joan
Before discovering Joan, Monsieur TSHIRT faced a persistent challenge: managing meeting spaces. Their initial premises in Bordeaux lacked space in meeting rooms. As a result, employees competed for the use of meeting rooms.
“Our office had only three meeting rooms. It used to be a fight if you wanted to use a proper meeting room. Some people also were not using the rooms just for meetings, but to work,” says Péré.
How Joan immediately changed the meeting culture
Monsieur TSHIRT wanted to solve the problem and they were looking for a solution that integrated with Google Calendar as that’s where they plan their meetings. They also wanted a physical device that you could use right there in the office to see if any meeting room is available and reserve it on the spot.
“Joan offered these two key features. We also liked that it has an e-ink display and the battery can last a very long time. To top it all off, the design was exactly what I wanted for our space,” says Péré.
As Monsieur TSHIRT started using Joan everything changed. Every meeting had to be booked via Google Calendar and was displayed on Joan in front of the meeting room.
“Suddenly, you didn't have to worry if the room would be available or not. Or if someone is going to rush in and try to use their authority to quickly get the room. It was clear to everyone. If you didn’t book the room, it’s not your turn to use it and you had to respect that,” says Péré.
During our conversation Péré was sitting in a “phone booth” - a small space for calls where people can’t disturb you. It was designed to be a free-for-all space anyone could use without a prior reservation. However, even the phone booth is soon getting its own Joan as people are trying to use the booth for focused work and stay in it for as long as possible.
Joan supports post-Covid workplace changes
Covid had a big impact on Monsieur TSHIRT’s work processes. The biggest changes it brought were hybrid meetings and hybrid schedules.
During the pandemic, the company started recycling t-shirts into customized masks. This was a very successful temporary product and it was for the first time in the company’s history that they had to set up a queue for people wanting to access their website.
While most of the employees were working from home, some had to be present in the factory to print masks and t-shirts.
This is when hybrid meetings in the company really took off with remote workers connecting via Google Meet. However, after a few months, some employees started to feel disengaged despite the meetings.
To strengthen the culture, leaders at Monsieur TSHIRT implemented a hybrid schedule that required people to come to the office four times a week.
“We want people from the offices to be right next to the people working in the factory as we have both in the same building. It's a huge part of our culture to be all together and on the same page. We analyzed the fully remote working model and realized it wasn’t for us,” says Péré.
He continues: “Joan helped us transition to our hybrid meetings. It makes it easy to create a hybrid meeting. When you urgently need to talk to someone who’s not in the office, it’s very convenient to have meeting room management connected to Google Calendar. It makes setting up meetings faster.”
How Monsieur TSHIRT ensures Joan devices are always available
Initially, Monsieur TSHIRT had three Joan devices at their Bordeaux location. As they expanded, they required additional devices. Three new Joans were introduced, bringing their total count in Bordeaux to six. Moreover, two Joan devices were deployed in their Paris office, which accommodates eight team members and two additional meeting rooms.
They have found Joan devices are both sustainable and remarkably efficient. Joan's impressive battery life was one of the compelling features that caught their attention from the start. Despite having used Joan devices for around four years, the company has experienced only a minor decline in battery life and can still use their Joans for months before needing to recharge them.
By taking these steps, Monsieur TSHIRT ensures that their Joan devices are consistently available for room booking, but that they still operate with minimal environmental impact. This proactive approach also shows how important Joan has become for the company and their meeting planning process.
Joan makes meetings more productive
“I would say Joan is the simplest solution to end meeting room problems. That's what happened to us,” says Péré.
He continues: “If you want to have just a few meetings, but productive meetings, you have to set very, very specific rules. And the booking system was one of them. Also, people tend to respect the time window more when everything is connected and the meeting room is booked for a specific time.”
In addition to Joan's role in meeting room management, Monsieur TSHIRT has extended their commitment to efficiency by incorporating the Notion platform for task management. The combination of Joan and Notion results in fewer meetings, but those that do occur are notably more effective and purpose-driven.
Monsieur TSHIRT's experience with Joan devices demonstrates the transformative impact of efficient meeting room management on a company's culture and productivity. If that’s something your organization is looking for, contact our sales and see which Joan is the best fit for you.
If you want to learn more about how Joan can enhance your workplace, contact our team.
