Monday, April 9, 2012

It's spring... CLEAN AND SHAPE UP YOUR FACILITY!

If you could see my home office where I am writing this book, you would gasp at the total mess. Our condo, except for my home office, is immaculate and welcomes all visitors; my home office is off-limits to all. That’s not a problem, because no one visits my office but me. A catering business, however, has visitors all the time, from the vendors who deliver to prospects and clients who come in on appointments or for surprise visits.

Park your car a block away from your business and walk to the entrance with the eyes of a visitor who has not been to your facility before, someone who will see the dirt smudges around the front door handle or the chipped paint on the walls in your entryway or the spots on the rugs or the loose wood trim on the receptionist’s desk. You don’t see these things anymore because you are too close to them.

First impressions have a powerful impact on visitors. From their point of view, if your floors are not clean, your chef probably never washes his or her hands. As you look around with the eyes of a visitor, make a list of immediate cleaning and repairs and then develop a long-range plan to create a positive lasting impression on visitors.

As you step inside your facility, try to figure out where the customer’s eyes will be drawn. What will they look at first? You might think a customer would be attracted by the flowers on your reception desk when, in fact, what you see first is the overflowing wastebasket or the tilted picture frames.

Make sure that what visitors see first correctly projects your positive image. If you have a company sign that is worn or damaged, replace it quickly. A visitor should see something that says you do special catering, like a beautiful place setting or a gleaming chafer.

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