IT’S YOUR UP
Creating Multiple Positive First Impressions
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Tom Jennings Retail Training Expert Tom Jennings is a lifelong member of the flooring business. Since selling his family’s retail business in 2006, he has served the industry as an educator and speaker. He is a past board chairman of the WFCA and is currently the board chairman of WFCA Services, Inc. He may be reached at tomg.jennings@gmail.com
any successful flooring retailers spend a great deal of time mastering the art of making a great first impression when first greeting a customer in their showrooms. Clearly, this is critical, but it’s important to remember that this is not the only opportunity to control first impressions. Let’s examine the opportunities to make positive impressions when the customer meets the installation staff. Remember, whether your installers are employees or contractors, the customer courtesies received should not be discernable, just the feelings of confidence conveyed. There will have been several impressions made before the installer actually arrives at the job site. If goods were custom ordered, was the customer kept aware of the expected delivery dates? Did the store proactively call to schedule the installation, or was this task left to the customer? Was the installation scheduled at a time that was most convenient to them or the installer? Did you promise a reasonable arrival or act like the cable company by giving only vague timeframes? These are all interactions that will affect the installer’s day before he ever arrives to perform the work. First of all, just as I advise sales professionals, the installer should always be respectful of a customer’s time. In a day when everyone has a phone in their pocket, there is no excuse for arriving late without prior notice. A good habit to get into is calling the customer a few minutes prior to the promised arrival time to advise her that you will arrive on schedule. She will now know that you are coming. She won’t feel compelled to look out the window, wondering if you remembered her or not. This is a courtesy that she will appreciate. It will also make you stand apart from other service providers. She will now likely greet you at the door with a smile, and you will be well on your way to establishing a good working relationship for the day. When arriving to perform the installation, a flooring mechanic should always arrive at the door carrying nothing but a clipboard with the job site information. They should dress correctly and offer their name. I suggest always finding something complimentary to say about the customer’s surroundings. Such topics may
First of all, just as I advise sales professionals, the installer should always be respectful of a customer’s time. In a day when everyone has a phone in their pocket, there is no excuse for arriving late without prior notice. 16 Premier Flooring Retailer | Digital 4 2020
