Lane Cardwell

First Impressions

"First impressions are often the truest."  William Hazlitt, 1778-1830

 "There are some people who leave impressions not so lasting as the imprint of an oar on the water."
           Kate Chopin, 1851-1904

Every business in every industry creates a first impression with a customer. Some go to great lengths to orchestrate this first impression so that it achieves the desired effect, and contributes to the overall experience. Others let the chips fall where they may, and hope that the overall interaction with the customer is a positive experience that results in repeat business. Behavioral psychologists would caution that the impact of a first impression is so strong that it often cannot be undone. This is explained as the primacy effect, which means that the early information people see or learn about you is more powerful than what is learned later.

                                             

I was in a Texas Roadhouse the other day when it occurred to me what a great first impression they create. Like most busy restaurants there is almost always a crowd of customers at the front sitting or milling around as they wait for their turn to be seated. Two things contribute to the positive impression at the start of the experience for me at a Texas Roadhouse. 

The first is the level of staffing at the hostess station. There always seem to be at least three hostesses working the front, which makes it easy to get on the list if there is a wait. There is also less of a wait to be seated since there are always team members available to seat you quickly. The second, and most unusual, is that you are seated with a basket of hot rolls. Your food experience begins the instant that you are seated.

I have always wondered whether the level of staffing at the hostess station in a table service restaurant is the cause or the effect. Does a restaurant staff up because the restaurant is busy, or is the restaurant busy because the restaurant staffs up? A chain that I had been involved with used to "save" money by going with one host or hostess during most shifts. The only trouble with this approach is that while they are seating a party of customers, newly arriving customers are met with an empty hostess station and an uncertainty of what to do. Our sales matched our staffing levels...lean.

Every restaurant creates a first impression. A QSR restaurant must worry about staffing the registers at affordable levels, while still achieving good customer service. Whataburger goes beyond the normal QSR experience in the dining room by bringing your food to your table when it is ready. In addition, they bring out a tray of condiments, straws, napkins, and utensils in case you need any. This creates a strong first impression before the burger is ever unwrapped.

Technology is helping to create a strong impression. I was in a restaurant in Dallas a couple of times, then visited their location in Houston. After giving the hostess my name, she thanked me for being a customer in Dallas and said that it appeared that this was my first visit in Houston (it was). During the meal the manager came by the table armed with the knowledge that I was a customer, but a first timer to his restaurant. It made for a very strong impression.

We work hard to attract new customers to our restaurants. We work to keep our existing customers coming to our restaurants. Why not work just as hard to insure that the first impression they receive sets you both up for success?

Posted by Lane Cardwell on December 12, 2008 | Comments (7)