First Impression Series: Week #1 How was your lunch?

Okay.......here is the first post toward my series regarding first impressions. As before, I stated that I was going to cover a number of topics in regards to how first impressions effect your customers.

If you're a restaurant owner, you're going to want to pay special attention today. The rest of you can just use your imagination and apply the same concepts to your own business. I will be getting to your field of business over the next couple of weeks.

As I stated last week, lighting, style, and color are just some of the things that can make an impression on your customers. It's not just about the service that your employees give (Even though that is a big part of it!!). These things contribute too. To the right is a popular Asian restaurant and its entrance into the space. The mood is immediately set through lighting and color. Your customers instantly feel calmer. You may also notice the blinds and how it darkens the space. This does two things. The first thing, is it attributes to is the lighting nuance as discussed. The second this this does is give your customers a sense of separation from the outside world. They are visiting for lunch or dinner, and it allows them to escape from where ever they just came from. When your trying to win your customers over, you don't want them to be thinking of the meeting they have to go to after lunch, or the chew out they just had from their boss. Setting that mental tone is key to first impressions. If you can't get into their head or emotions, their visit will be all but a blur to them.

Too many times I have been in a fast food restaurant where there is a self serve soft drink bar, and it looks like it was half put together; The overflow drain is out in front for everyone to see, the cabinets and counter tops are chipped, and there is no room for multiple customers at one time. This picture doesn't show it, but the arrangement seen here, is mirrored on the opposite side. We humans are weird in that way. We want to be amongst a social gathering, but we don't want to be too close to people whee we are sharing the same 5'-0" radius circle with a complete stranger. The other thing this picture is showing is what is not in this picture. For example, the clean line where the floor meets the cabinets. There is no floor drain for customers to see. The stainless steel cabinets also set a tone. They are so stylish, that it's hard for anyone to imagine that there is storage behind those doors. Finally, using finishes that are tough to wear down in high traffic areas such as this, is essential for up-keep down the road. You don't want your customers to think you don't care about the place, because then they won't care enough to come back.

It's all in the details!!! The beams in the ceiling didn't even have to be there, and why do you think that they chose a black drop down ceiling instead of a traditional white? As you look back to the first picture, and get the feel for the space, do you think that I white ceiling would have been complete for what was trying to be achieved? Making a first impression is an all or nothing thing. As a business owner, your constantly trying to sell yourself. You don't just make a partial impression. Either people like you or they don't. It would be silly to do bits and pieces of your business, because most likely your customers will notice the parts that you didn't pay attention to.


Your business is a place where it is a chance to show your credibility. You want to be able to reach your customers on an emotional level, and first impressions are all based off of our emotions. If you want to have repeat customers, don't just leave it to your staff to have good customer service. Add to your customers experience to allow them to feel something different for that one hour that they are there. They will certainly come back.

Introduction to First Impressions

This is the first of a series of posts I will be making in regards to making that first impression to your customers. Whether you have a "Mom and Pop" restaurant to having your own dental office, that first visual step your customers experience determines how often they will be back and how much money they will spend. Each week, I will take you through different scenarios which show both "Positive" and "Negative" impressions. Toward the end of the series, we will then talk about how the investment toward these visual impressions will actually turn into a return for your company.

Prior to the up-coming posts, I wanted to go over what a first impression establishes. Let's face it........It's a make or brake it deal at any given moment when each customer walks through that door. First and foremost, your establishing your Credibility in any given field!!! A great entrance through the front door and it says your well established compared to the competitor down the street. Other factors in what makes up peoples minds about you and your business are as follows:

• Lighting
• Flooring
• Room Temperature
• Smells
• Noise Level
• Colors
• Creativity -or- Lack there of
• Over all style

These are just a few of the basic things we will be discussing over the next few weeks as I bring in pictures of examples of what are good and bad. My goal is to help you, as a business owner, to evaluate your own space, and to see that small changes can go a long way financially. As we go through this process, I will explain why certain issues are bringing in negative feed back to customers, and what can be done about those issues. So, follow me as we move through this process, and don't hesitate to email me with any questions. Have a great week!!

What is your carbon foot print?

Environmental effects has been a big theme even before our new president announced that he was investing billions of dollars into environmental programs and upgrades. But the term carbon foot print is usually equated with our personal self or our own life style. Right? No!! Think about where you work, or if your a business owner, think about your companies usage. How much paper gets copied each day? How many paper coffee cups used to be thrown in the trash? How many employees are traveling by car and plain, and to what extent? If its an action that requires energy within your company, then it is almost guaranteed to contribute to the carbon footprint of your company.

So, you ask, why should I care? and your probably thinking you have more important things to think about such as your bottom dollar. That's exactly right IT'S ABOUT YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR!!! That's why you should care. In the long run, it will save your company thousands of dollars. It makes sense that if your using less energy, that less money will be going out of your pocket. Right?


Productivity: There has been studies done on this area in which employee productivity has gone up due to increased day lighting, more flexibility in air comfort, and lowered health risks due to VOC off gassing.

Cost Savings: There's been debate with how much going "green" really saves a company. There is no standard calculation for this, and it really depends on where a company started at and where they are finishing. Are you willing to make major changes? Or is it just minor? As a manager or owner, you have to think of the longevity of these savings. Of course this savings turns into increased revenue for the company.
Expanded Business Opportunities: More and more businesses are only conducting business with other businesses that produce green products. As we move more and more into the popularity of being "Green", more businesses will be forced to be apart of these trends, and your customers will expect that what they are receiving is environmentally friendly as well. For example, we're are seeing companies like McDonald’s use bio-degradable hot cup holders. Even the car industry is recognizing that the consumers are buying more and more of the energy saving automobiles.

Attract & Retain great employees: Today’s workers want to be part of companies that are not only successful but also environmentally responsible. This means being apart of a company that takes obvious steps to help the environment. Many of the incoming workforce from universities around the country feel that this is a significant part of what they are looking for in there new careers.

This is a new era, and as business owners, we must keep up with these changes in order to be successful. Not only does it benefit your bottom line, it helps the environment.

The paint chip dilema

I attended an interior design get together over the weekend, in which about half the people there where not professional designers. Many of them came with problems and issues they have had in their home. I noticed that there was a theme occurring. Many of them didn't know how to deal with issues relating to color choice. That can be a tricky issue, because many things relate to color. There are a some questions that should be analyzed before settling on one choice.


What is the size of the room?

What kind of lighting is there?

What is the space used for?

Is there an existing color theme in some of the furniture, finishes, and fixtures that you will be re-using?

What is the size of the Room? It is known that color is used to alter the perception of the size of a room. This can be very helpful in small, cramped spaces where you might want to make it feel larger. On the other spectrum of things, in a larger space you may want it to feel smaller and cozy. What ever the situation is, picking the right color can help achieve this. In general, uniformity of color can provide the illusion of spaciousness, but keep in mind that over doing this can provide the opposite effect as well. There are a couple rules we should think about before applying color. Advancing colors (Bright colors) make a wall seem nearer, can close a large room in, or pull down a tall ceiling. Light reflecting colors make a room appear larger.


What kind of lighting is there? As a very basic explanation to this question, color will change depending on the quality and quantity of daylight, and the type of artificial light. Lighting can be a science in itself. Just keep in mind that one color in the store can look totally different in your home or office. It is also recommended to try it out with your new light source if you are changing that.

What is the space used for? Many colors have suggested meanings or psychological effects that come with them. In the healthcare industry lighter colors are soothing, where brighter colors create energy and might be more appropriate for an up beat restaurant. When picking the color of a particular room, examine if the color of choice matches what the activity of the room is. We wouldn't want to paint a baby's nursery room bright red or even black. These colors might effect the sleeping patterns of the baby. I don't think it's an accident that baby colors are pastels.

Is there an existing color theme in some of the furniture, finishes, and fixtures that you will be re-using? This would seem to be the most obvious, but many people ignore this fact. They get stuck on a new color theme they may have seen in a magazine, and don't take into consideration how those colors fit with what they already have. It's not just walls that provide color. The lighting has its own color, along with the woods from furniture, trims, carpet, accessories, and doors. A successful overhaul of a color theme will look at all these pieces.

Finding the value of an interior designer in the face of tight budgets

You started that small business with great hopes. You aspired to be the next Starbucks or Chili's Restaurant. Every business owner wants to be different than all the rest of their competition. It is especially important to do just that in the face of this economy. As a business, the main goal is to make money. When you're on the other side of the fence as the consumer, does the atmosphere of the business influence whether you come back or not? In most cases it does. You’re not going to send your children to a preschool that looks run down and out of date. You also would not stay in a hotel that was in the same condition. There is something in our brains that equates "old" with dirty, not creditable, and not the "best".

We have always heard the saying "first impressions" are given only once. Think about some of your most favorite restaurants. Think about the way it makes you feel when your there. Yes, I'm sure the food and service make a big difference, but for now, just think about the ambiance. Think about if the lighting was too bright, or if the table clothes where lime green. It would change your whole perception about being there. It might even change the way you taste your food. Now, think of these same odd perceptions, but from your customer’s point of view. First impressions should be viewed as cash flow. A negative first impression is negative cash flow and a positive impression is positive cash flow.