First Impression…Lasting Impression!

I was on vacation over the 4th of July and had an experience at a restaurant that compelled me to write about it. In my business and really in any business, you only have one chance to make a “First” Impression.

It is unfortunate that in this case this restaurant had just opened for business a week prior to our visit. Apparently there was alot of hoopla around the opening. Friends had recommended I try it however they had not tried it themselves. We had heard negatives about other restaurants so we decided to give it a try.

First impression: it looked like we were driving down a gravel driveway to someones house. Upon parking in an unmarked parking lot, we walked up to the door and opened it. The first thing you see when you open the door is the prep-station. You know the area that I am talking about. It is usually hidden away in most restaurants. It is where they prepare your drinks and keep the supplies like ketchup and other condiments.

There were 3 employees standing there and no one was at the “greeter” podium where you wait to be seated. A good 30-seconds passed before anyone acknowledged we were standing there. Keep in mind that there were only 4 other cars in the parking lot. We had to wait to be seated but had pick where we wanted to sit and then had to lead the way.

There was no ambiance and the decorations were minimalist at best. The best way I could describe it is a roadside nautical themed cafeteria.

Upon being seated we ordered drinks. Being on vacation at the beach, my wife and I indulged in an adult frozen beverage. My wife’s drink was not made properly and tasted bads so she politely asked the waitress to take it back and decided to just drink water. The bar was just around the corner from where we were seated. We listened as we heard the conversation between the bartender and the waitress as they complained about us.

The food was good but overpriced for what you actually got. I had a bowl of pasta with shrimp and scallops and my wife had a seared tuna salad. The bill was right at $40 plus tip.

With all of this said, we left and thought to ourselves, “Maybe they are just getting the kinks ironed out” and that it would be better in a few months. It then occurred to me that if that kind of service continued they would not be in business in a few minutes.

This is the reason why every time a patient buys something on our website or visits our office, we give them the best service that we have to give and that they leave with a great “First” experience and a lasting first impression.

If you are in business for yourself, you should keep this in mind.

As for that restaurant…we won’t be back!