It’s staggering to think that a single person’s attitude can make or break your feelings towards a brand, but it’s so true.
This summer, I spent a lot of time indulging in a passion of mine – visiting whisky distilleries. Although there’s many things which can influence my preference here – from taste, to branding, location and so on – one of the stand-out themes to me is the warmth of (or lack of) welcome received.
I won’t name any particular brands, but needless to say it was a mixed bag ranging from extremely welcoming to indifferent to just rude. (This isn’t unique to the whisky industry of course..)
What does this tell us?
Apart from some people being fed up whereas many others loving their job – it shows the importance of human beings connecting with human beings, and also that brand is so much more than a logo.
Where does this go wrong? When people are told to smile. If you have to force them, it’s too late.
Organisations who get it right have motivated and happy employees whose very presence extols the virtues and ethos of the brand. (This doesn’t mean the are over the top, or shadow your every move.)
Next time you walk into a shop / hotel / visitor centre / restaurant etc – try to remember how you’re made to feel and if your business does the same.