Do your people represent your brand?
By F Kamaruddin
If you think your employees don’t influence your customers’ mood, you’re wrong!
I was reading one of my fav blogs, Naomi’s Blog and a post in January caught my attention and interest. She had been on a family vacation in Italy, and she shared with her readers her experience in a tarverna and at the Ducati Caffe, where the mood of the evenings were set by how the people in the two cafes greeted their patrons.
One evening, her party had ducked into a tarverna for shelter from the pouring rain. They were warmly welcomed by an friendly waiter who made sure they were comfortable, as he and the rest of the staff rushed around preparing to open for the evening. The personality of the place shone through their staff, and Naomi’s group had a great time and ended up staying much longer than they had originally planned.
However, the Ducati Caffe experience was the opposite. Staff were cold and appeared to lack in personality. It was something she did not expect from such a well-known Italian brand.
What struck me most was her statement, “The evening had been set by the way we were greeted” and I really think that’s true. How many times have you stepped into an establishment and thought, “these people don’t want my money”? Also, how many times have you returned to the same restaurant or laundromat / dry cleaners because of how you were treated every time you’re there?
The people who work in an organization ARE the organization’s brand because they are the ones who deliver the customer experience. When people interact with your company, they experience your products and services through the behaviour of your employees. All these moments of interaction are touch points, where someone comes face to face with your brand. A hip, modern logo and a memorable tagline are brand promises. A brand promise needs to be delivered at every touch point. If you run a theme park and your brand promises a “fun time for everyone in the family at every moment”, that brand promise will not be delivered if your customers experience surly park attendants and cold food that arrives late in the themed restaurants! Every employee needs to practice the right brand behaviour so that customers feel that you really walk the talk and care about designing and delivering the best experience, as promised.
For now, I leave you with one question. How are YOU delivering your organization’s brand promise?
* Naomi Simson is the founder and CEO of leading online gift retailer, RedBalloon. Read Naomi’s full post, Roman Holiday – Brand Lessons here.
Tags: Brand Behaviour, Customer Mindset
