Negative Signs Create a Negative Impression

April 14th, 2010 | Author: Chuck Silva

The other day we went to our favorite restaurant for lunch. Both the food and the customer service is great. The prices are good and the store is always spotless. They have all the things that keep people coming back again and again.

Except for one thing.

When you are entering the front door of the restaurant, there’s a large sign that reads, “NO Public Restrooms.” Right there, above the door handle. It’s the very first thing you see as you enter the building.

Is this really a good idea? I’ve got to say, I find that sign to be something of a turn off. That sign irks me just enough that it has a negative impact even though I already know that, based on past patronage, my eating experience is going to be a good one.

You’ve all probably seen signs like this and variations thereof. “Restrooms for Customers Only,” “Bathrooms for Patrons Only,” and so on. I realize that some business operators don’t want people walking in off the street to use their restrooms. At the same time, I’m suggesting that operators of businesses with public access think about it. Is the sign really necessary? Are there really that many people abusing the privilege? Perhaps it would be better to allow anyone who comes in to use your facilities? Removing the sign removes some amount of negative impact to the customers experience.

After spending some time conjugating over the “no bathroom” sign, I started to consider other signs in businesses and how they impact the customer experience.

Bounced checks. Why add a sign to your cash register indicating that you have a $30 bounced check fee? Ninety-nine percent of the people that have a checking account already know that there is a fee for bouncing a check, particularly, the people that have a tendency to bounce checks. Do you really believe that someone who has no money in their account will be influenced by your sign? And I’ve seen these on the inside of the door as you leave the premises, also. Do you really want this to be the last impression of your business that the customer has when they leave your store?

Minimum credit card purchase. I don’t like minimum credit card purchase rules or signs within a store. Yes, credit card fees eat away at your profits but having minimum purchase credit card rules may lead to lower sales and profits, not higher. In addition, insisting on minimum credit card purchases may be illegal in some areas and may also be a violation of your credit card agreements.

Shoplifters may be prosecuted. Are you getting so many shoplifters that you need to post a sign? If someone is going to shoplift, do you really believe that sign deters them?

Premises monitored by cameras. A lot of stores post signs that the premises are being monitored by cameras. Personally, if I were looking for a store to rob, I would probably look for a store with that sign. It’s very presence is a good indication that the store doesn’t have cameras. But I’d wear a ski mask, just in case. And, how many 10 o’clock news videos show the liquor or convenience store getting robbed by an unmasked bandit with the sign right there in the background?

No Sharing. I’ve seen this sign in restaurants. You have an $8.95 lunch special. You may not want two people to pay $8.95 for a meal when you can get $17.90, but is it necessary to make a big deal of it? I’m betting that if you enforce this rule, you’ll lose customers permanently.

So, there it is. Keep your signs positive, treat your customers like they are welcome guests and watch them come in more often, spend more money, tell more people about you and help you become successful.

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