Think about the businesses you recently walked into that made you feel welcome. What did the employees do that made you feel welcome? What aspects of the appearance of the business made you feel welcome?
-Renee Evenson, Customer Service Training 101
Why is the welcome mat such a ubiquitous item? The mat itself is just functional, but the words on it are there because ultimately, we all want to feel welcomed in wherever we go. This is especially true with a business: are you losing potential business before you even get your customers in the door, both literally and metaphorically, because they don't feel that sense of welcome?
Welcomes come in all shapes and sizes, depending on your business. Do you have a bricks-and-mortar location? Try Renee Evanson's suggestion of thinking about businesses you've walked into recently where you felt welcomed. How did the entrance look? What were the sounds and sights and smells that went into your first impression? What about the employees? What exactly did they do to make you feel welcomed?
If you don't have a physical location, what about the first impression you give when someone contacts your business by phone or email? The key questions for a physical location are just as relevant here: how did the email look? How did the phone salutation sound? Was the content of the conversation inviting?
And of course, what about your website home page as your "welcome mat"? What was a website you've viewed recently that made you feel "welcomed," that made it easy and enticing for you to stay there and learn more or sign up for a service/purchase a product? What specifically was it about the site (both visuals and ease of use) that made you feel that way?
Once you have brainstormed other businesses that really brought this sense of "welcome" to you, ask yourself: how can I turn these ideas around and apply them to my own work?
Need help seeing your company from your customer's perspective? ProSolutions is your eyes and ears. Explore our evaluation and audit services to see how we can assist.
