It’s amazing how some organizations are good with first impressions and others are not. By first impressions I mean the first point of contact a customer has with an organization.
The reality is that customers have choices and organizations that “get it” pay attention to the details that matter to customers. Every organization is different as far as their first impression moment, but all organizations have that first opportunity to make their customer feel like they have come to the right place and will get their needs met.
First Impression Opportunities
1. Website
Most successful organizations have a well thought out and designed website. Today’s customers use the internet to find out information about an organization. What products and services they have to offer, hours of operation, locations, customer testimonies, service guarantees and to get a general feel for the business. It is critical to take a good look at your website and try to wear a customer’s hat when doing so. Things to think about:
- Is the look of the website current or outdated?
- Is the content accurate, clear and error proof?
- How easy is it to find the needed information? The last thing you want to do is frustrate a customer by making it difficult to navigate the site.
- Are there pictures or video that tell a story?
2. Telephone
For some organizations, a customer calling in to ask questions or make an appointment may be the first point of contact. Things to think about:
- How is the phone answered?
- Does a “live” person answer the phone?
- What are the wait and hold times?
- What does the hold background music/information sound like?
- Is the person answering the phone friendly, knowledgeable and able to answer questions?
- How many times does a customer need to be transferred before getting information or a question answered?
- How quickly are calls returned?
3. Business Lobby
When someone comes to your business, some first impressions may be the cleanliness of the parking lot, entryway and lobby. Things to think about:
- Is the parking lot free from debris or blowing trash?
- Is the entryway free from debris or blown leaves, etc?
- Is the glass on the doors and windows clean?
- What does the building smell like? I personally have sensitivity to smell and I make impressions based on smells, either good or bad.
- What does the furniture and carpet look like in the waiting room? Is it clean and fresh or stained and worn?
- Is the public restroom clean and fully stocked?
4. Receptionist
The receptionist is often the first representation of a business. How well they are trained or untrained tells a lot about a business. Things to think about:
- Is the receptionist friendly?
- Are they knowledgeable about the organization? A good receptionist knows everything about an organization from how the business started to where the business is going.
- Can the receptionist answer questions?
- Is the receptionist equipped to do service recovery if a customer is not happy?
- Does the receptionist do “personal” things while on duty, for example do they eat at their desk, read or polish their nails? These may seem minor but send a message and impression of how professional the organization is.
5. Business Culture
When someone visits your business, are the workers happy and helpful? If employees are not engaging they can leave a negative impression on customers.
- Do employees vent or voice frustrations in front of customers?
- Do they ignore customers thinking that it is “not their job” or do they stop what they are doing to help the customer?
6. Marketing Materials
I know marketing materials can be expensive but they really do tell a lot about an organization. These materials should always be professionally done. They should represent the organization by having clean, error free information that is clear and informative. The goal would be for these materials to answer the questions that someone might have. When creating marketing materials, think about answering questions that relate to who, what, where, when and how.
Finally, the old saying you only have one shot at making a good first impression is true! Customers are quirky at best and business owners need to make sure their customer’s first impressions are positive and inviting for a customer. Using customer comment cards to gain customer perspective and training employees with service standards that are part of a structured performance management process can help prepare an organization for a positive customer experience.
photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/birminghamnewsroom/
