Don't Tell Your Customers What They Can't Do - Tell Them What They Can Do

By Tom Borg ©2010

Have you ever seen these signs posted in various businesses?


If you BREAK IT - you BUY IT.
No Shirt-No Shoes-No Service

We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone.

Shoplifters will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

CLOSED

Do not lean on the glass display counter.

NO LOITERING



These signs are not very inviting are they? It seems that the owners good intentions have gone astray.

A business associate and I walked into a Mexican-American restaurant for lunch. Our eyes were met by a sign that read, “Banks don’t make tacos; we don’t accept checks.” Next to the words there was a sketch of the owner with a scowl on his face. That first impression had already left a bad taste in my mouth, and we hadn’t even sat down to order our meal. What the owner of this restaurant does not realize is that the message he is sending out to his potential customers is not positive. Actually, it’s downright negative. What he’s saying is that he doesn’t trust his customers.

Is this the message he really wants to express to his customers? Probably not. But, he is expressing it.

A couple of golfing partners decide to try out a new golf course. They walk up to the clubhouse and are met with a barrage of negative signage: “Clean your spikes before entering club¬house.” “Shirt and shoes must be worn at all times.” “Replace all divots.”

What the owners of this golf course are doing is setting up a negative impression before the first ball is even teed up.

Why do these two examples of poor service in America exist? Because the owners are forgetting a very important truth. Charles Lamb, the great English essayist, said it best when he wrote these words, “Damn it, I like to be liked!” People like to be liked. They don’t want to be told what THEY CAN’T DO. They want to be informed of what THEY CAN DO. They want to be made to feel that they are welcome.

A better way for the restaurant owner to inform his clients of the policy of not accepting personal checks could be to tell them what forms of payment he will accept. The sign could read this way:

“Your Visa, Master Charge, Diner’s Club, and American Express cards are most welcome. Unfortunately, we do not accept personal checks.”

A better way for the golf course to communicate its rules to customers would be to have the signs read this way:

“In order to provide you with a quality golfing experience we ask that all participants follow our rules of golf etiquette. Thanks for your cooperation! As always, it’s a pleasure to serve you.”
“We want to keep our clubhouse looking it’s best for you! Please clean your spikes before entering. Thanks for your cooperation.”

“In order to keep our golf course in top condition for everyone’s enjoyment, please replace all divots. Thanks for your coopera¬tion!”

“We want you to look your best! Please wear your shirt and shoes on the golf course and in the clubhouse.”

The impressions a customer receives when he walks into a business or organization are merely a reflection of the owner’s values and people skills and how he or she chooses to express them.

Most restaurants have a sign over the coat rack that reads, “Not responsible for lost or stolen articles.” That’s what the owner would like you to believe at least. What the sign is really saying is “WE DONT WANT TO BE responsible for lost or stolen articles.” Legally, they really are responsible; they just don’t want you to know it. Most restaurants that I have surveyed report that they rarely have had anyone lose a coat or a personal belonging. So, my question is why put up the negative sign? Remember, we are trying to make this a positive experience for the customer. Negative signs do not help.

Earl Nightingale used to tell the story of a very popular restau¬rant in Florida that is still in business today. The customers observe a sign over the coat rack that reads, “Of course we are responsible for your belongings when you are a guest in our restaurant. So, relax, enjoy yourself, and have a good meal. Remember, serving you is our number one purpose. This restaurant has taken a very different approach to reminding its customers that they are important. In so many words, the owner is telling his customers that he cares about them and that he is responsible.

After one of my talks during which I mentioned this restaurant, an elderly woman came up to me and asked, “Where is that restaurant located? My husband and I live down there part of the year and would love to visit it.”