The economy seems to have hit Detroit harder than any other area in the US. Even with this bad economy, I still walk into packed restaurants and businesses that have crammed parking lots. So why are these businesses flourishing even in these tough times? Simply put, they understand that their business is dependent on the grace of their customers. Because of that, these customers are treated like welcome guests or treasured family members. They open early and stay late if that is what their guests want. They welcome these customers by name or if they are new, with a warm inviting greeting.

I did survey on the web asking if they ever stopped doing business with a company because of how they were greeted. 77.9% of the respondents said yes. That is a huge number of customers to lose simply because you or your employee were too busy or disinterested to greet your customer properly.

Whose job is it to greet your customer? The answer is, as you can imagine, EVERYONE’S job. Whether you are a CEO or a janitor, if you are anywhere near a customer make sure you greet your customer warmly.

Your greeting has a powerful impact on your customer’s experience and the impression they have of your business. At your best, you are a gracious host. At your worst your action could mean the beginning of the end of that customer’s patronage.

Remember your customers have an infinite number of choices about where to do business. More than ever, it is essential that you begin your relationship with your customer with a sincere, welcoming greeting in hopes of keeping that customer for life.

Think about your customer’s first five minutes at your business. Do they wait for someone to speak to them, or are they immediately acknowledged? If you don’t know what your customer’s experience is you might ask someone you know to enter your business and then share their impressions with you. If their report is unfavorable you need to take immediate action to fix the problem. If they were delighted with the greeting, find ways to make sure that each new customer gets that same great greeting.