In my travels recently I came across businesses that were clearly inviting and welcoming, while others simply prevented me from entering just by the image they portrayed.

I’m sure some of you will have shops that you never go into purely because they exude an attitude that you are not the ‘type’ of customer they want. They do it quite deliberately to keep the riff raff or the ‘unfashionable’ or the ‘older’ or children, out.

Sometimes businesses give that kind of an impression without intending to. Are you one of them?

How welcoming is your business from outside? Can potential customers look in and get an idea of what to expect? Does your staff look friendly and welcoming or do they portray an image of arrogance with too much importance to actually want to serve you? If they were asked to do something differently than the standard service … “could you add some cold water to my coffee?” or “help me to my table”, would they be willing and able?

One business I came across was so obscured from the pavement that I felt I couldn’t go in because I would feel uncomfortable about walking out again if it wasn’t to my liking. Another cafe had gone so far to look trendy that I wasn’t even sure it sold food because nothing indicated it did.

On the other hand, two outlets I visited greeted me with friendly, helpful service - one was even chatty, which was nice.

Hospitality businesses are under increasing pressure to not just be viable but to also improve profit margins. And while some are re-investing in upgrades etc, some are just not in a position to do so. Irrelevant of your potential to invest in your business right now, the key to improved sales may as simple as making your business more welcoming. Changes to your business appearance – clean, tidy and easy to see - and staff presentation and attitude may be all you need to increase customer numbers.

Customers will also be impressed by your willingness to make changes or improvements where possible, and these don’t have to cost a lot. For instance, if you sell deep fried chips, has your staff completed The Chip Group online training modules for deep fried chips www.thechipgroup.co.nz, or have you joined the Conscious Consumers cafe project www.consciousconsumers.org.nz.

What better way to put out the ‘welcome’ mat than by offering a visible presentation with good products and friendly service?

Cynthia Daly, editor

Food & Beverage Today