Brand Perception: The Customers Truth is all that Matters

About a week ago, I went to lunch with friends. We decided to try a restaurant that had recently opened. Each of us had noticed the expensive build out (I estimate about $500k - $1M) and wanted to try it. After entering the restaurant and waiting for seven minutes, the following exchange occurred:

Host: “You have to wait for 30 minutes; we aren’t seating any more tables now.”

Me: “We’ve been waiting seven minutes, and no one has greeted us.”

Hostess to Host: “They just got here and haven’t been waiting long.”

The amount of time we were waiting is immaterial. The bottom line is, three new customers walked in, and before sitting at a table or providing the restaurant with a penny of revenue, we already never wanted to come back.

Quick Lesson: The customer’s perception is all that matters. If I felt that I was waiting for 30 minutes too long, and I told 15 people, and then posted my experience to Twitter, then what I say is true. No snarky hostess or marketing person would be there to defend the restaurant.

What each customer says and the experience they share is all that matters to you and your brand. You are what your customer says you are.

Note: Through my power of persuasion, we got a table without waiting. If the attitude of the hostess was overlooked, the low service level and high prices assured that we wouldn’t come back.