Elevating our Community

Exterior updates make big impact on customer experience

Story by Shiloh Francis l Photos by Andy Greenman and Brandis Knudsen

Picture this: You are visiting a new town, looking for a place to shop and grab a bite to eat. As you come upon the first business, this is what you see: Handwritten signs on cardboard taped to the door. Cracked, dirty windows. Lights so dim you’re not even sure if the place is actually open. And as you look closer, the letters on the sign are so faded you can’t make out the words to even know the name of the business is what it offers. Did you choose the wrong vacation destination?

You look across the street to see another business. A bright “Open” sign glows, drawing you in. Colorful photos show off that day’s special or sale. The large windows, lined with beautiful flower boxes, show off a bright, clean exterior. And there is even a bowl of water in case you brought your dog with you.

Businesses must take care of their customers. Creating a positive experience not only increases the likelihood of repeat business. But also opens the door of opportunity for customers to tell their friends and family. Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising available!

But what does it mean to craft a positive customer experience?

Offering the right product at a fair price. Clean and accessible. Great customer service. These are a few things that may first come to mind. But one thing that should not be overlooked: the exterior. As we learned in the opening story: You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

Fortunately for Rapid City, we have a multitude of businesses that take pride in this very thing. The work businesses do to keep up appearances not only help with customers, but also elevates the community as a whole. It tells visitors, and reminds locals, that we take pride in our city and its success.

A great example of how the exterior ties into the experience for customers is found in Golden Ticket Cinemas. News about an “upscale’ movie theater traveled quickly. They promised new and different but could not do that on the inside without also making changes on the outside. Fresh paint and new signage provide a more upscale feel, which is exactly what movie-goers can expect when they walk inside as well.

Often new ownership is the catalyst for change to a building, but this does not have to be the case. Businesses should not only be maintaining their exteriors, but also taking the time to refresh the outside to stay fresh and current. Take, for example, the McDonald’s on Cleveland Street. It has been in Rapid City for years, but you’d never guess by looking at it. They have taken the time to remodel the inside to meet demands of today’s society, while also giving a fresh coat of paint for a clean, welcoming exterior.

Speaking of new ownership, the changes to the newly named Burns Building are hard to miss! Home to Project Solutions, Inc and Parkside Chiropractic Center, the 1960s building got a major facelift. The new name, paint, and fresh design makes it hard to miss on the corner of 5th and Kansas City streets.

Paint isn’t everything. Taking the time to improve landscaping can also improve the exterior of a building. Take the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons office, for example. They built a garden bed around their sign complete with flowers, painted rocks and a butterfly garden. These bright colors offer a welcoming, cheerful curb appeal for visitors. Canyon Lake Activity Center also made significant landscaping improvements over the past year. This beautiful work can be enjoyed by all as they make their way to crush a game on the pickleball court.

Canyon Lake Activity Center extended the landscaping to the pickleball courts.

Even the smallest change can have a big impact on curb appeal and first impressions. But even those come at a cost. Realizing the long-term value of these changes, Elevate Rapid City will soon be rolling out a program to help businesses overcome the cost barrier. Keep an eye out on Elevate’s social media and at elevaterapidcity.com to be the first to know when the program launches.