The Second Impression…
How do you get a chance at a second impression?
The only way you get a chance at a second impression is to make a great first impression. People rarely give establishments an opportunity to try again. People are vigilant with how they spend their time and money. Once someone is disappointed with the service they received, they will more likely never allow themselves to be let down by the same person or organization again.
This is why first impressions are so important and why a great initial impression is the only way to guarantee a chance at a second impression… but it doesn’t stop there.
Consistency is a necessity!
Being consistent in how you serve your clientele is paramount to the customer experience. It is very important to realize that once you’ve established a level of performance, you must maintain it in the customer’s eyes. If you make a great first and second impression, you have established a paradigm for how your customer or guest perceives your establishment. Once that mentality is established people are much more likely to forgive and forget any issues they encounter in the future.
Consistency will bring more people back to your business and having a great track record will increase referrals. This is not new information to seasoned professionals, but it can be unknown to those entering into your business.
Turnover is the leading cause of inconsistent service.
Why does the mean taste different that the last time it was ordered? Why does the service seem less lustrous? Because new people are brought on board without being properly trained and indoctrinated with the same high standards as their predecessors. One of the leading causes of downturn in an establishment’s second and third year is a drop in perceived service levels.
Globally, the hospitality industry has the highest turnover rate of any industry. With non-management hotel employees averaging a 50% turnover rate and managerial employees averaging 25%, it is no wonder that guest and clientele encounter such inconsistent levels of service!
While staff and employee retention is a focus for many companies, it rarely has a huge effect on their turnover. The best hope for organizations is to need to make it a company goal to over train very new hire and to over deliver on service quality with every guest request.
The second impression is the one that counts, but the only way to get that chance is to make a great first impression.
What can your organization do to guarantee consistency in the impressions they make?