Everything Speaks

Imagine visiting a fine dining restaurant for a special occasion. You've been looking forward to the meal and you've heard good things about the restaurant. Then imagine noticing something crusty dried to your silverware and old lipstick marks on your water glass. Wouldn't you begin worrying about the cleanliness and quality of everything else in the restaurant?

Everything speaks!

Now imagine a customer entering your place of business. She notices trash in the parking lot. When she enters the reception area, she sees delivery boxes stacked by the receptionist's desk. She sees employees standing around eating and having personal conversations. All this detracts from your business's image. It either consciously or unconsciously raises the customer's antennae and makes them question, "Do I really want to spend my money here?"

The "everything speaks" philosophy means that all employees understand that even the "little things" count.

So pay attention to everything, including whether the physical environment is neat and clean, whether all necessary supplies are available, and whether the employees are dressed appropriately. Anything that sticks out as "wrong" becomes an intrusion on the customer experience. These intrusions add up and result in customer concern.

On the other hand, when customers sense an atmosphere of professionalism, care, and order, they feel a sense of confidence.

Take a moment to think about your company's environment. Since everything speaks, what are the details saying about your organization?

An excerpt from: 
Dennis Snow & Teri Yanovitch “Unleashing Excellence”