Atmosphere

This category contains ways to invest in your atmosphere. This might be a fresh coat of paint, displaying artwork from local artists, or selecting music appropriate to your brand. People will pay more for the experience. For example, in blind taste tests, most folks have chosen Dunkin’ Donuts versus Starbucks coffee. Dunkin’ Donuts goes for about .97 cents per cup. Starbucks sells their coffee for $4.00, but they also provide their patrons with a warm atmosphere, hip music, and the luxury of wireless Internet access and in doing so, they create a meeting place. People will pay for the atmosphere—the experience—the opportunity to belong to a cool culture.

Pay attention to the temperature.

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There is no better way to let you customers know you're struggling than to keep the temperature uncomfortable just so you can save on your energy bills. In the wintertime, ensure your customers can stay warm. In the summer, make sure they can stay cool. You're job is to make them feel at home while they're with you. They should be free from shivering or breaking a sweat while they're experiencing your brand.

~Idea submitted by kellyg.

 

You're the picture of success.

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Take photos of your happy clients and adorn your office walls with them. Pictures of other folks who have successfully navigated your process will have a calming effect on your future customers who see them. Seeing the smiles will instill confidence that you can get the job done with minimal pain or heartache.

Examples: Happy kids holding their new toothbrush in dentists' offices, new car owners in the dealerships, and new arrivals next to the OB/GYN reception desk.

~Idea submitted by kellyg.

 

Toys, books and puzzles in your waiting room.

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If appropriate, have toys, books and puzzles in your waiting room. Both parents and children appreciate having the distraction. If your office is a little more high-brow, simply keep the toys in a nice chest and offer it only when children are present, rather than leaving the toys out at all times. Waiting rooms are not places for high-energy children, so even having these things available for staff to hand out can go a long way toward making everyone's visit a more comfortable experience.
   

Always offer fresh, high-quality coffee or tea.

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Always offer fresh, high-quality coffee or tea. Make sure it's good. It's this kind of touch that shows you care about your customers. You might also want to offer bottled water for those who don't care for coffee or tea. There is nothing worse than a company that cares so little about their customers that they make them wait in a cramped waiting room with battery acid for coffee. Adversely, the right beverage, at the right time, can have a very calming effect (even if it has caffeine.)
 

Reassess your office hours.

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Reassess your office hours. What do your clients want? (Hint: Ask them.) When are the shops around you open? While it depends on your industry, you may want to stay open past five so folks who don't have the opportunity to visit during the day may do so after work. Certainly, there is a balance to be struck between managing a store and the business to support it being open during those hours. A sure sign that a business is in trouble is when they cut back their hours. A thriving business would be looking to expand hours—not reduce them.
   

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