My husband and I were recently in San Mateo, a charming small city in the Bay Area. We went into a store that was selling a variety of gift items. We walked in and after a few minutes, we realized that no one greeted us, or even looked at us.
We waited for someone to notice us....and none of the staff looked up from what they were doing; no one made eye contact or said “Hello” or “We’ll be with you in just a minute.” We waited. Finally, my husband said, “Let’s go somewhere else.” And, we did.
I can imagine the young staff had had a long day, or some cranky customers, or were just anxious to be done with their work day and head home.
But, as the customer, my only concern was being waited on, or at least having someone greet me and say they would be helping me soon. I wanted to feel welcome.
We are deep into the tourist season on Whidbey. Making a customer feel welcome is always important, but this is especially true when many strangers may be stopping by your business.
Anyone who is meeting the public in a business must always be aware of the power of that first moment when a potential customer walks through the door. More than anything else, a customer must be noticed and made to feel welcomed.