A Brand is Like an Elevator (Knowledge)

Hello, I’m Marianne Tenenbaum, Branding Strategist, for Once a Day Marketing™.  Today we are sharing an example that illustrates how your brand resides in the mind of your customers.

We have shared many blogs regrading brand identity, brand image, how a brand resides in the mind of your customer and is comprised of simply everything.  Here is a great example of just how quickly a customer’s perception of a brand can change. 

Last week I was very much looking forward to dinner in a restaurant I had visited before and had enjoyed a fabulous meal and a great customer experience.

On my second visit I ordered something completely different, anticipating I would be wowed by a wonderful entrée.  Imagine my dismay when the dish arrived with chicken tepid, vegetables too hard and potatoes with excess garlic.  The brand of the restaurant in my mind was on the express elevator to the basement.  I was thinking I would never come back here again!

I decided to be bold and offered my waiter construction feedback.  He was clearly well versed in how entrees were prepared and explained the kitchen’s methodology.  While not making my meal any better, I understood why this meal was so dramatically different from my first experience.  Perhaps future diners would benefit from my input.  Brand slide to basement is averted.

Following the conversation with the waiter, the restaurant manager arrived at the table.  He had been told of my feedback and there was no need to repeat any information.  He encouraged me to give the restaurant another try and offered a discount card for my next visit.

The caring response by both the waiter and the manager turned my perception of the brand around.  While not back to the stature gained after my initial experience, the restaurant brand is back on neutral ground and I will visit again with an open mind.

Your brand has positive and negative encounters with customers every day; you are aware of the ones customers bring to your attention, however, your staff should be trained to pick up on customers that are not having a good experience and do what they can to improve it and maintain brand stature in the mind of your customers.

Once a Day Marketing™ inspires clients to brand bold.  Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com.  Contact Marianne Tenenbaum at (505) 699-7849 or email mten@onceadaymarketing.com.  Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

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