I visited a real estate agent yesterday to do some investigation into unit prices. The sun was shining outside, I just had my 2nd coffee for the day and I was feeling particularly good about exploring different options with one of their representatives.
I walked into their office and said hello and smiled at the first receptionist I made eye contact with. And she responded with ... nothing! She looked through me and then turned away and continued with her paperwork and talking to the other receptionist. No hello, no smile, no"how can I help you today?" ... nothing. So I turned to the other receptionist who at least said hello and reluctantly asked me how she could be of assistance. I thought for a second - am I on the same planet as these people? Shouldn't these receptionists be the ones making the effort to warmly say hello and smile upon the entrance of a potential client who many be spending money with their establishment in the very near future?? Or is their paperwork and gossiping more important?
My mood changed all of a sudden and I was very tempted to just leave there and then. As it stands, I will never go back there again or recommend them to others. I wondered how these receptionists (and the directors of their office setting the tone for their business) could have lost sight of such an important responsibility in the sales cycle – an initial positive greeting. It’s not really that hard – particularly when people such as myself walking through their front door are the ones paying their wages and the rent for their office building. Fortunately, I had a completely different positive experience with the next real estate agent I visited.
Have you had a similar experience recently with a business you’ve never dealt with before? I don’t think it is out of order that these people are given a gentle reminder ‘to smile and say hello’. It really would make all the difference for the growth of their business.
