Blog

The power of a FIRST impression

August 31, 2011 by Don Fox — CEO, Firehouse of America

Back in June, I wrote about the power of a last impression, and how a customer's most recent experience can undermine years of positive impressions about a brand. My blog for September was going to be about the effective use of operations checklists in relation to systems and standards, but en route to my keyboard this morning, I had a first impression that inspired me to shift gears.

I'll start by telling you that I am not a big breakfast person. More often than not I go without an early meal on weekdays. I never seem to have time before leaving the house, and if I have the urge for sustenance during the morning hours, I will make an impulsive stop along the seven -mile route from my front door to the office. Being on the health conscious side, biscuits and gravy are way off the radar screen. So you would likely see me in a drive thru picking up an order of oatmeal to take to the office, or in a convenience store picking up a nutrition bar and bottle of OJ that I'll wolf down on the balance of the ride in to work.

This Wednesday morning was one of those days, where I felt the need for some fuel. It was going to be a long day, and my chances of getting out to lunch were slim due to the noon hour being tightly bookended by appointments. With school back in session this week, traffic along my route was much heavier than it has been for many weeks, and I found myself sitting stagnant in bumper to bumper traffic, weighing where I might stop for a quick bite. And then it happened: A marketer's dream. Just ahead of me on my side of the road was a national gas/convenience store chain with a co-branded national coffee/doughnut operation. Though I had been passing this location for seven years on virtually a daily basis, I had never been a customer. The outward impressions were all positive and offered a green light for me to pull in: The parking lot was nearly empty, with no traffic at the pumps, signaling the likelihood of a quick in and out visit; the facility was clean and appealing, displaying pride in both brands being represented. In a matter of seconds, I made the decision to pull in and give them a try. Chalk one up in the win column for the power of brands and advertising.

As I walked through the glass doors, my eyes immediately searched for the co-brand partner. I was expecting a manned kiosk of some sort, but instead, found myself facing a self-serve bank of coffee dispensers and an array of doughnuts and bagels. To my right, within my peripheral vision, was an employee manning the cash register for the c-store. Though I was the only person in the store, he offered no welcome. While it would have been nice to have felt my business was appreciated right off the bat, my senses were occupied with finding my way about the unfamiliar surroundings, so the lack of a greeting wasn't of immediate concern.

I am not a regular coffee drinker, and I had not experienced this brand's java in a couple of years. Out of professional curiosity more than anything else, I thought it would be worth a try, especially given the unmanned nature of the operation. Would it be freshly brewed? How would the temperature be? Would it be robust, or middle of the road for the masses? As I studied my options on the labels of the three dispensers, and reached for a cup, the sentinel at the register uttered his first words: "I'm out of cream, but I have milk". I made eye contact for the first time, and saw a middle aged man, casually dressed in non-branded, non-uniform attire, sans smile. He had probably been delivering the bad news about the cream for several hours this morning. As I turned my gaze back toward the coffee, I noticed a small handwritten post-it note stuck to an inverted coffee cup bearing the upside down logo of the brand. My experience was quickly going from a marketer's dream to a marketer's nightmare.

My first thought was, how does a national coffee operation run out of cream? I put that thought aside, poured my cup of Joe, and went to the condiment area to complete my beverage. A couple of artificial sweeteners, and my second preference of milk. The only problem was there was no milk on the counter. Was I supposed to ask him? I sensed I was going to be putting him out if he had to go retrieve it from somewhere. So I left well enough alone and figured I would add the cream from the stock at our office kitchen. Cup in hand, I grabbed a nutrition bar off a nearby shelf and headed for the register. Being in a good mood on my end, I was determined to make the final moment of truth with the two brands a positive one. After all, problems like running out of inventory can sometimes happen to the very best of us. I also like to think I am a forgiving person (especially when compared to the average customer), and can certainly sympathize with operators when they hit a bump in the road.

With a smile and sense of humor inherent in my tone, I said to him, "Well, other than the cream, how are you doing today?" The pedestrian looking representative of billions of dollars worth of branding retorted, "it's another lousy Monday." I was almost stopped in my tracks by the comment, but still showing a sense of humor and a desire to somehow salvage HIS day, I said 'Well, that must be REALLY bad since it's Wednesday".

I had only a second or two to study his weathered face, and the look of discontent and even sadness in his eye before he said "I think I've lived a lifetime of Mondays. It's a tough road". My mind no longer at all on breakfast, or the brands that had crashed and burned within a matter of three or four minutes, I sincerely said, "I hope it gets better for you". And I genuinely hope it does. But it won't be with the benefit of my patronage.

The power of a first impression. Especially when it is also the last.

About Don Fox

---

None

Connect with Don: