A “virtual” friend, Rob Berman, fellow businessman and a great small business blogger, has written a thought provoking post exclusively for America’s Best Business Practices that I wish to share with you today.
Is Your Business Open or Closed?
Some days, I wonder if business owners really think about the basics of how they operate. Consider what messages we give our customers or potential customers each day.
Open or Closed
It would be fair to assume that a business is closed if the lights are off or there is a sign that says “closed.” However, sometimes a business just appears to be closed when it is not. I recently experienced just such a situation when one of my family members was in a hospital located in a major city with very limited street parking. When I attempted to enter the parking garage affiliated with the hospital I noticed a sign between the “in” and “out” driveways that said, “Garage Full. Patients Only. We apologize (sic) for any inconvenience it may cause.”
The first day this happened, I backed out and decided to use valet parking for an up charge of 30%. Later, when I shared my experience with the person who recommended the garage he explained that the sign is always there. He said there are always open spots and to just drive in. After that, I parked in the garage every time I visited. But, the sign was always there. Some days, there were entire floors with no cars. Upon reflection, it doesn’t make sense to reserve that much parking for patients. Most hospital patients do not drive themselves to the hospital for overnight stays.
Closed or Open
The “Garage Full” sign situated between the driveways may have been left there inadvertently. However, it effectively conveyed the message, “go away, we are closed”. Consequently, some potential garage customers may have chosen to take public transportation or may have decided it was just too much trouble to visit hospital patients. Of course, some percentage of potential garage customers may have decided to use the more expensive valet parking. One thing is certain, many potential garage customers and the associated revenues are lost to other parking facilities not affiliated with the hospital.
Example: Customer Service Phone Line
Consider a customer service phone line that is only open from 9 to 5 Eastern Time Zone. Customers located in more western time zones have limited time to call since they are in bed at the beginning of the shift and at lunch during the end of the shift. Hawaii would be the extreme example. It is five time zones away. The hours that Hawaiians may phone are 4:00 AM to 12:00 PM local time.
Example: Non-Profit
A non-profit I called recently had its automated greeting on when I called. Unfortunately, it was the night greeting saying they were closed. It was 2:00 in the afternoon. How many people simply hung up and did not dial an extension? I knew they were supposed to be open so I dialed an extension and let the staff person know about the situation.
The Takeaway:
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. If you welcome customers with open arms they will want to come back.
That is what is on my mind. What do you think?
- Have you ever experienced a situation that caused you to wonder what the business was thinking?
- How do you make sure your customers know you are open for business?
- What stories do you have to share about quirky business practices?
Thanks Rob for the reminder. If you would like to contact Rob Berman, you can do so through his LinkedIn page or at rcberman2@yahoo.com.
Years ago I gave a management seminar I titled, “Elephants Don’t Bite”. The basic concept was that you don’t trip over mountains but rather molehills. Managing the little things make the big things happen. Rob’s guest post is a stark reminder of this. I hope you found it useful and will share your thoughts below.
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at mike.clough@bestbizpractices.org or visiting my LinkedIn page.
Posted by: Mike Clough
