I went out with some friends for a burger the other night to a chain restaurant that resembles a 50’s diner.  The service was slow, but we didn’t mind because we were busy talking.  When the burgers arrived, I took a big bite of mine and began to remove the paper wrapper so I could get more.  I was quite surprised to find a rubber glove tucked inside.  We waved to our bubbly waitress and showed her the obviously worn glove wrapped up with my beef patty.  She looked shocked and said she wasn’t going to “touch this one” and went to get her manager.  Barry showed up with a big smile and an apology. He nervously brushed back his long bleached hair with his ungloved hand and offered to make a new burger for me. He wiped his hands on his greasy belly before picking up my latex sandwich and heading back to the kitchen.

Barry’s solution to an awkward customer service situation was to give me a free burger and 20% off the total bill.  I am an easy going customer and accepted that and his apology.  However, there was something that just didn’t sit right with me.  I thought about how the waitress and the manager handled the situation and I decided they probably did what they had been trained to do.  What was missing is assurance that it won’t happen again to another customer.  The way Barry looked made me believe that sloppiness was the norm.  The way the restaurant looked made me wonder if there was more than a rubber glove to worry about.

Non-verbal communication

The reality is that we remember what we see.  I can’t forget the look of the latex glove or Barry and both turn my stomach.  You need to make an assessment of what a customer sees when they walk into your place of business.  Maybe the dirty carpet or dingy walls don’t matter to you, but they give an impression of the quality of service and whether or not the people working there take pride in what they do.  What is your company policy for dress code?  We all have opinions about what is acceptable, but a crisp, clean shirt sends one message and a stained sweat shirt sends another.  A turtle neck sends one message and a low cut blouse sends another.

Consistency of message

Companies look at branding and how they want the company to be perceived in the marketplace.  Customers look at consistency and want to see that the companies they give their money and trust to walk the talk every day and at every location.  That is what brings them back and gets them to recommend you to their friends and associates.