“What’s that new cafe like?” asked a business colleague from out of town.

His question got me thinking about how much a negative response from a single customer could cost a business. What’s the lasting impact of a one bad experience?

We can invest time and energy and money into the things we believe will create the right first impression—professional logo design, the perfect decor or quality packaging. And yet it’s possible for one bad customer experience to taint everything for a very long time to come.

The flip side of course is that when you organise your business for lasting impact people will cross town and queue from 3am for one of your croissants because they know you will sell out in two hours.

First impressions get people through the door, what happens next is what keeps them coming back.

Image by Jerd Lngr.