A good first impression is key in the business world. It’s not often that a customer will come back when you’ve greeted them with bad customer service, and word of this will get around fast! You’ve got to be sure that you welcome anyone through your door with a smile and open arms, but that can be hard to pull off.
And it’s not just the customers you’re going to have to convince! You’re also going to need to project this image to investors and other businesses in your area. You’ve got a pretty big impact to make, and here are some of the best ways to ensure that happens.
Focus on Your Attitude
How do you greet a customer when they walk through the door? How do you act around them when you’re on the store floor? How do you ring them up when they’re checking out? All of these moments matter, and if you haven’t got the right attitude, it’s going to be hard to claw back the impression you’ll make. A smile goes a long way, even on bad days!
Tidy Up the Edges
The way your business looks to those on the outside often comes down to the details. And if your premises are messy or dirty in any way, people are going to notice! This is especially true if you’ve got a waiting room – leaving people alone to survey their surroundings can lead to a first impression without any effort to even make one.
So tidy up; make sure your office or store front is clean, at the very least. Then brighten the area with a few highlight touch ups. For example, airport markings are made of incredibly durable paint to prevent rain and wear from ruining both the look and function of the runway – apply the same principle to your business. Make liberal use of external paints and sealers, and if you’ve got any plants outside your front door, make sure they’re regularly trimmed!
Always Have Something to Say
And finally, as long as you’ve got an answer for the customer, they’re going to think highly of the service you provide. Of course, it can be hard to anticipate what a customer needs, and when you don’t know something it’s only natural to tell them that, but it can be a knock to your professionalism if you don’t have something on hand to remedy a time like this.
Even just saying ‘I’ll go and check for you!’, is a great way to keep the customer on side. Either that or get someone else to handle their query, if you’ve got a trained team of staff at your disposal. All in all, be mindful of the way you speak to customers; always use a tone that shows you know what you’re doing!
A good first impression is the difference between a sale and a walkout; take it seriously within your own business.