Image, continued
When image is defined by the personality of the founder, the company is often subject to what I call the quarter-half-quarter rule. This means a quarter of the potential customers will have the same personality style and identify with the new business and become loyal customers. Half of the market will be in an adjacent style and may be a customer, without loyalty. The last quarter of the market will have opposing values and will avoid the company.
It is confounding for management when striving to create an image of being a warm and friendly company only to learn that customers perceive them as cold and insensitive. This may happen when people engage in image damaging behaviors that are either unknown or unrecognized. Let me give some advice based on some of my observations.
Behave professionally at all times. Employees sometimes make a variety of remarks around customers. This makes customer wonder what is being said about them after they leave.
Avoid disciplining employees in front of a customer as it makes us look bad. We should never loose our temper or speak poorly in the presence of a customer.
Set standards and monitor the behavior of any employee who wears clothing or operates equipment with your company name on the items.
Vehicles are rolling advertisements and should be treated as such. If those vehicles do not project a good image to your customers, then what is the image? Some people avoid a business because of the appearance of their vehicles.
Pay attention to the details. A major international airline found coffee stains on their fold-down seat backs created the impression of poor maintenance. Keep everything clean and orderly.
Don’t let employees wear uniforms when not working. A person drinking in a bar or engaging in an argument in a store wearing your logo reflects badly on your company.
Think about the image you project in your business and the impression it leaves on your customers. Have a consultant take a look at your company and your operation to make sure you are projecting the image you intend. After all, image is everything.
Keith Chiles