Thursday, March 19, 2009

Face Marketing

While at a recent conference, a friend of mine noticed something unusual.

"None of the servers are smiling," she said.

I looked around and she was right. It looked like the entire staff was in serious need of anti-depressants.

"It was the same thing this morning at the coffee shop," she added.

Keep in mind that this was happening at a high end, well known hotel. Perhaps under a new policy, smiles now cost extra.

But all kidding aside, the lack of smiles from the staff affected the mood of the entire room. A simple change of expression doesn't cost anything and yet can play a huge role in building rapport with customers. And a time when there are so many negatives in the world, some positive energy could really add to your environment.

A well known saying is, "Never let them see you sweat." Perhaps it should be changed to, "Always let them see you smile."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How true this is. Lack of smiles has a direct relationship to the guest dining experience. Hiring great staff is an important component of restaurant marketing Servers should be hired for their personality, rather than their experience.

Joel Cohen
www.RestaurantMarketingBlog.com