Blog

The Power of a Last Impression

June 5, 2011 by Don Fox — CEO, Firehouse of America

Do you like to sit behind a one way mirror and listen to your customers talk passionately about the food that they eat and the brands that they favor...or despise? Count me in! It's better than a night at the movies. Have you ever seen customer intercept interviews when the recall of the dining experience is as fresh as the food they have just eaten? Love it! Do you pour over quantitative research that captures statistically significant points of view about every aspect of the guest's visit? I'll take reams of it! When combined with your own keen and objective eye, and those of your team, all forms of consumer research allow you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your brand.

I recently visited an outlet of a national fast food hamburger restaurant. Being an advocate of consumer research, in the wake of this stop I couldn't help but reflect on the power of the "most recent visit". This is a point of view that is often looked at as the most important customer perspective of all. But first, a little background is in order.

In the aftermath of the tornados that struck the Southeast, I put together a team of eight people from my HQ and loaded them up on our Firehouse Subs Tour Bus (aka FIRE-1). Our mission: to assist our franchisees in Birmingham in their effort to prepare and serve over 10,000 meals to the survivors and the first responders who came to their aid. We were departing at 6 PM on a Saturday evening from Jacksonville, with an ETA at Birmingham of 1:30 AM. It was going to be a long night...especially since, with our short notice departure, I was the only person able to drive the 42 footer. Lots of coffee would be in order!

At close to midnight, with fatigue and hunger descending upon everyone on board, we decided to pull into the parking lot of the anonymous burger chain. Now, I readily confess to being a user of this particular brand at two of their locations in Jacksonville. While the food isn't great, it is a good choice when I have to grab something really quick and want the convenience of a drive thru. And at the locations I go to, the crew members are friendly, and the facilities are kept clean. They certainly do a good enough job to keep me coming back when the circumstances are right. So in the dead of night, with both hands nearly straight up on the clock, I felt pretty good about the choice.

As the bus rolls onto the parking lot, I immediately flash back to my own days in the FFHR category, and put myself in the role of the manager. A bus! How many people are getting off? Fries down!!! As far as busses go, the nine of us don't constitute too large of a group. But the restaurant is already experiencing brisk business during this late night hour, both in the drive thru and at the front counter.

One glance around the restaurant tells the tale: Dirty tables, soiled floor, overflowing trash can in the lobby, and disgruntled looks on the faces of the employees, the likes of which I have not seen in this brand's restaurants in years. But the number of staff looks appropriate for the business, so I am hoping that they are going to at least deliver on the convenience front. But before I get in line to order, I make a trip to the rest room. Now, I hope that you are not reading this right before you eat a meal. Because when I open the stall door, I witness the most disgusting display of feces splattered all over the place...floor, walls, toilet.... it is everywhere. I turn away in disgust. Needless to say, any desire to eat at this literally sh**ty restaurant has been flushed. I apologize for the gross out.

Now back to the main topic: consumer research (specifically with this experience in mind).

I guess I have been a fortunate customer to have been the recipient of pretty good experiences the past few years at this brand's locations in Jacksonville. If I were a focus group panel participant, or completing an on-line survey, I would have had some pretty good things to say about them based upon all of my prior experiences. And given their vast national scope, coupled with the stellar sales results they have registered the past several years, I would have liked to think that they have managed to impart a standard of performance that branches across all of their markets. As CEO of a 433 unit brand in 24 states, I know full well that all chains have their best and worst performers. But a key ingredient for success is tightening up the gap between the high and the low. Because of all the positive experiences I have had with the brand, I assumed that they were managing to do just that.

The standards of this restaurant in Alabama were so bad that it immediately cast a shadow on all of the good operators in their system. For a brand with the level of resources they possess, how on earth could they allow an operation to sink so low? I have seen quantitative research on this brand, and it never seemed to reflect the better operations that I experienced for years in Jacksonville. I often thought, if I were rating them, I would be much more generous in my evaluation. Well, my one experience in Alabama totally changed my opinion of the brand. Had I been asked for my opinion at that point in time (or for that matter, if I were asked now, even though it is several weeks later) my opinion of the brand, and the ratings I would give them, would be negatively impacted to a significant degree.

It just goes to show that, as a brand, you may be only as good as the last visit at your weakest restaurant. It is well worth measuring the last impression through consumer research, and the results should be acted upon. And for all of those associated with a brand, it shows just how critical it is to fix the weakest links in your system. The bottom performer hurts everyone; even if that restaurant is 450 miles away.

As the old cliché goes, you have but one chance to make a first impression. But in our business, you are only as good as your last. And darn it! I could have really used that cup of coffee.