How to Prevent a Negative Impression
First impressions are important so it is wise to pay attention to the sensory experience in your facility. That experience begins the moment they arrive at your property. Everything must be clean and pristine, from landscaped grounds, spotless walkways and orderly lobbies to elevator buttons, table tops, hallways and bathrooms. Customers must have the sense that their comfort is your goal.
Every encounter customers have with facility services staff must also be excellent. Those team members are the face of your organization. They probably have more interactions and make more impressions on guests than anyone else. Whether occupants are signing in, asking for directions, submitting a request or reporting a spill, they need to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect, and have their issues addressed immediately, sincerely and professionally.
The last thing you want to hear them say, or cause them to think, is, “Wow, that left a really bad taste in my mouth.” Bad impressions of any kind can wreak havoc – especially if they cause people to leave your facility or, if they’re not able to leave due to their work or studies, avoid certain areas. Some might voice their displeasure on social media where everyone can hear about it.
Literal Bad Tastes
Facilities can also leave actual bad tastes in people’s mouths.
Think food. If you’re eating chicken, pasta with pesto sauce, fried rice, or a spicy burrito, you want the food to taste like you expect. Not like the equipment it was cooked in in the cafeteria, the smell lingering in the air, or the last dish that was heated in the break room microwave.
Properly maintaining equipment, including air exchanges, is critical. Recycling fresh air pulls out occupant-generated smells that can affect how food tastes.
Improperly or infrequently cleaning food preparation and storage equipment can also affect how food tastes. That’s why it’s so important to pay special attention to how and when food areas are used.
When people visit your facility, their senses give them a gut feel about how they perceive your organization. And whether literally or metaphorically speaking, you want them to leave with a good taste in their mouth.
Find out how UG2 can help you create experiences that keep people coming back and enjoying their environment – and their food.
Get in touch with TeamUG2.