Posted : 03/01/2003

Posted : 03/01/2003

Creating A Lasting Impression
First Impressions

by Scott Eric Barrett

In the business world, nothing can have a greater negative impact than a bad first impression. Customer service is a difficult term to define or measure because people tend to have different standards for it. No matter what definition is chosen, the most important component of quality customer service is the all-important first impression.

A positive first impression opens many doors, says Craig Harrison, motivational speaker and founder of Customer Service Made Fun and Easy in Berkeley, Calif. "A negative first impression is much harder to overcome," he adds. "Why introduce additional impediments? We all naturally want to be liked, valued, listened to, respected, trusted and cared for. A positive first impression can help customers feel all of those and more. A negative first impression means your efforts to build trust, rapport and loyalty must be done in an uphill manner. The grade gets steeper when a negative first impression occurs."

The indoor tanning industry is driven by positive first impressions because there is a lot of interaction between the customers and the salesperson, and the results of the product--a tan--are very visible.

"Most of the clients we get are because of referrals," says Ken Burnett, owner of Tan4Life in Cave Creek, Ariz. "We have a very good image due to the controls we have in place. People really notice how different we are from other local salons. It's not uncommon for people to say that our salons are the nicest ones they have ever been in. It's certainly not an accident. We realize that word of mouth is the best form of advertising there is. So first impressions mean a lot to us."

"If you made a great initial impression, even if they do not end up tanning with you, they will most likely refer their friends to your salon," says Carol Barker, co-owner of Tropical Sunsations in Syracuse, N.Y. "Treat your client base like gold, and they will reward you tenfold."

Going The Extra Mile

What is a "first impression"? Simply, it is the first thoughts a person has toward a business after seeing an employee or listening to what an employee has to say. These are made during the first five seconds and then the first few minutes of a conversation. It has been said that a speaker has five minutes to convince the audience that he or she has something good to say. How an employee acts, dresses and talks are all going to affect the first impression. A customer's first impression of an employee will have an impact on whether the customer buys.

Tanning is about one's own body, one's image--and self-image--and their connection with the outside world, says Harrison. "It's not as dispassionate as who to buy widgets from," he says. "To entrust one's image--one's own body--to strangers, a customer has to feel safe. A good first impression allays the fears we all have when interacting with strangers."

He believes the key to a quality first impression lies in the personality of the salon operator or employee.

"I want any new clients I deal with to trust me, know that I am a good listener, appreciate my industry knowledge and recognize that I can solve their problems," he says. "If I make a great first impression, they will feel safe in sharing their problems and, beyond their immediate needs, a long-term relationship can occur."

Tan4Life's Burnett believes it's important to know who your customers are. "We consider ourselves to be one of finest upscale salons in Arizona," he says. "Therefore, we cannot afford to let our first impression be a bad one. It's crucial that customers immediately realize that we are not a run-of-the-mill tanning salon. If their initial impression is one of mediocrity, then we have already failed."

Tan4Life's focal points are cleanliness and customer service. Before he opened the salon, Burnett questioned dozens of tanners regarding what they liked and disliked about their current salons. A dirty facility and workers who had no knowledge of tanning and products ranked very high on the list.

"When customers arrive at our salons, they immediately notice how well maintained the facility is and how our staff can intelligently answer almost any of their questions," he says. "We constantly drill our employees on how important it is to pay attention to detail. We have biweekly meetings to discuss issues and implement new policies and procedures. We also make sure that there are incentives for maintaining a high level of proficiency."

Tropical Sunsations' Barker says there are many different areas her salon focuses on during a new-client orientation.

"We give a full tour of the facility, while explaining the different types of equipment, then show them how they can tan in the best equipment available for extremely affordable prices," she says. "By giving the tour, the new client has not only seen the impressive equipment, but also notices the spotlessness of our centers that is not the norm in our locale."

To assure that her employees are making good first impressions, she has three easy ways to monitor their performance. The first is to actually spend time in the salon to hear direct feedback.

"Sometimes you learn even more when customers don't know you are the owner," she says. "The second is to use your security surveillance as a training tool. Check your local laws before recording voice, though, as it may be illegal in your area. The third is some type of customer-satisfaction survey. Whether this is a postcard given to the client, a survey on your Web site, a follow-up customer-service call, etc.--anything that gives you feedback will help."

A Plethora Of First Impressions

Oftentimes, a customer's first impression of a business comes from its signage or brochures. It is crucial to decide what kind of image to project.

"The first step is to create a core story about your business. What does it do? Where does your firm excel? What image do you want to convey to consumers?" says Adrienne Weiss, CEO and president of Adrienne Weiss Corp., a branding think tank that specializes in store graphics. "Your core story should be intellectual: something that makes sense and is provoking. It should also be something consumers can react to."

A customer's first impression could come down to what happens when the phone rings. And there's no worse impression than unanswered calls.

Automated attendants and voice mail add professionalism that old, tinny-sounding answering machines can't. Such services as call forwarding, toll-free numbers and paging also boost a business' image while improving customer service. A friendly, professional greeting is a must. The idea is to make customers understand that they're calling an established, professional company--not some small-scale operation.

Web sites are becoming increasingly responsible for a customer's first impression of a company. Does it communicate the message the salon operator wants? More and more customers are checking out Web sites before deciding where to buy. The reason for this is simple: It is the easiest way for them to find out their options.

Sometimes there's no substitute for looking good in print. Newspaper and magazine ads, business cards, stationery, catalogs and brochures can be a customer's first impression of a company. They can establish your brand and inspire confidence in consumers. They can make a small business look bigger and keep a large business from seeming impersonal.

Customer service is a major focus of many successful companies. And many of those companies have determined that making employees happy leads to legendary customer service. Routine customer service is that type and level of service given in the normal course of events. An example of routine service is when a customer knows exactly what he or she wishes to purchase and it is readily available from the supplier. In such cases, customer service is satisfactory on the whole--it is rarely memorable such that it induces positive feelings--but it is also rarely dissatisfactory.

People tend to recognize good customer service when they receive it. Their perceptions are usually influenced by how employees act while helping as well as what employees do to help. Employees must be polite and respectful to create a positive first impression. In general, whether in a consumer or business-to-business capacity, most prefer to spend their money where they are treated well.

Making a positive first impression, crucial as it may be, isn't all that difficult when you break it down to its bare essentials like Dale Carnegie--the "How to Win Friends and Influence People" guru--did back in 1936. He writes, "Smile, be a good listener and make other people feel important."