First impressions matter. In seven seconds or less a customer has formulated an opinion.
The personality and behavior of the first employee you come into contact with (even over the phone) is critical, even when it’s a business you’ve frequented before. Regardless of how the rest of the experience turns out, you will always remember how you were greeted and treated, good or bad, in the initial interaction.
Below I’m sharing two scenarios from a recent school visit with my daughter who is off to Kindergarten in the Fall. Scenario A is the disappointing first impression. Scenario B includes my fixes to show just how easy it is to elevate the customer experience.
Scenario A:
-Given name badge at security desk and was verbally told how to find the Admissions office
-Admissions office was empty upon arrival
-When an employee returned a moment later they were carrying a plate of food from the cafeteria and asked us, “How may I help you?”
-Before we were introduced to our tour guide, we could overhear them questioning whether or not they had a tour on the schedule and that they must ‘finish something first’ as this was the first they heard about our scheduled tour
-When the tour began they didn’t know which grade my daughter was entering
Scenario B:
-Security escorted us to the admissions office (or gestured to its location, which was about 20 feet away)
-We were warmly greeted by name as we entered the Admissions Office
-Our tour guide was ready and understood our goals and my daughter’s grade of entry thus being able to customize our tour
How does Scenario A make you feel? How does Scenario B make you feel?
Are your employees remembering each day to make memorable first impressions?