issues
Published: 01 April, 2007
Perception is a funny thing. One incident or experience can be remembered or rated entirely differently from one person to the next. For example, a shopping centre might be viewed as a fun, exciting and pleasant experience when someone manages to buy exactly what they wanted and another person might see it as uninviting, a mess and awful because they could not park easily.
Of such contrary views are managers treading a tightrope. How is it possible to please all the people all the time? Well I think most would agree that it is not possible and that is not what should be set as a goal.
Rather, the goal should be endeavouring to manage expectation and set a benchmark for customer service that will allow the bad perceptions to be mitigated. This is true for all aspects, from the shoppers right through to the retailers and staff. Everyone is different and therefore will have differing needs, beliefs and frustrations. Someone's bad week at work might jaundice their view of your shopping centre.
Generally we are always dealing with human beings, and if they are treated with openness and honesty most will understand and appreciate why something has been done and what is happening.
If you think about your own perceptions and recollections of an experience and compare them to someone else who was there, you might be surprised at the differences and wonder if you experienced the same thing at all!
It is therefore vital in training and building the shopping experience that you manage for all, and manage expectation.
For example, I now perceive Bluewater to be scruffy, dirty and not loved because the 'meeters and greeters' with their blue and yellow casual uniforms have gone.
Of such things are reputations and image built and altered.
Roger J Southam,
chairman & chief executive, Chainbow,
[http://www.chainbow.co.uk]
