Your customers are first visual creatures because sight is critical to our survival as a species. What your customers see from their perspectives as well as their expectations will either make or break your business.

The following are 2 real case studies where the Point of Connection - Seeing - had negative outcomes.

Case Study One:

During an afternoon lunch at a nationally franchised restaurant, you order an adult beverage and receive it with a floater in it. You get the server's attention so that you can return it and ask for another. The second drink arrives this time with even a larger floater. The waitress just drops it off and you do not have the opportunity to tell her. You wait and she eventually returns. She takes the drink back and the manager comes to apologize. The manager offers you a drink on the house and you pass on the mixed adult beverage and order a glass of wine.

When the waitress drops off the bill, you begin to see that you are charged for the first two drinks that you returned. Then you continue to see the rest of the bill and find a credit for the two drinks at the bottom of the receipt, but no charge for the wine.

You ask to speak to the manager and question her as to why you were initially charged for the two return drinks. The manager says that the waitress must account for the drinks. That makes sense. However you then make these two observations to the manager:

1. The waitress should have explained that the 2 drinks would appear on the bill with a credit at the end to keep you as the customer from having any negative initial reaction.

2. There is an inconsistency between policies between wait staff and management as this does not explain why there was not a charge for the wine.

Given the quality of the drinks, the problem with the bill, the poor service and the attitude of the waitress, you decide not to patronize this national restaurant ever again.

Cast Study Two:

As a small business owner or executive, you purchase promotional items from calendars to pens. A vendor sends you an email and you see an offer for 300 pens for $39.00 or $.13 each. You check you records and have found that in the past you paid on average $.13 for pens from this vendor.

As you enter your order on line, you come to the last page and see a $15.00 set up charge. In the past, this vendor did not have a set up charge. So you cancel the on line order process and make a call to the customer service department for clarification.

During your conversation, you confirm that the $15 is additional to the $39 that you originally saw. Now the pens will cost you $.18 each. The customer service person attempts to tell you that this is not an increase, but you can see that $.18 is greater tnan $.13. You decide not to make the purchase and begin to seek another vendor.

Both of these case studies involved what customers saw. This point of Connection, of what your customers see, is the first and probably the most critical point of connection especially if your business is conducted belly to belly or through Internet marketing.

Take the necessary actions to ensure that the customer experience from the perspective of sight is positive and always strengthening the feelings (another Point of Connection) that you want your clients to have about your business. Remember is it now what you see through your eyes, but what your customers see and expect to see from their eyes.