First Impressions

First Impressions


Everybody knows that you only get one chance to make a first impression, or do they? Yesterday I was driving to meet a client, and had to stop in for gas at the local station. After taking out a second mortgage so I could afford to get gas, I stood there filling my tank, as a van pulled up on the other side of the pump. Due to the nature of this story, I will not mention the name on the side of the van, but let’s just say it was a company most everyone has heard of over the years.

So as this van pulls up, I start noticing a few things. The beaten up, faded, and non OSHA compliant, ladders were stacked up on top of an old rusted ladder rack, with little care to safety. In fact, I am shocked that they didn’t fall off as the driver sped to the pump and jammed on the brakes with no care to pedestrian traffic in the area. Hanging off the rusted ladder racks were bundles of coiled wire with individual frayed wires sticking out, unprotected, and just aching to stab a passerby.

The van was in disrepair as well, with dents and scratches all over it and the name of the company seriously faded to the point that the red was a soft pink, cracked and flaking off the body of the truck. One look into the back window and you could see how all the materials where just thrown in the back without care, and piled up, blocking the view out the back window.

I sat there pondering how a company of this size could allow their image to be tarnished this way. What are you saying to your customers by putting this kind of face on your company name? I couldn’t help but think, how safe can this company be if they are not worried about ladders flying off their vehicles and damaging others, potential customers, property? Furthermore, how much pride can this company have in their work if their mobile billboard and brand looks like this? As I sat there in shear disgust, the door opened and the driver and passenger began to get out.

Before I could even see the driver’s foot hit the floor, I heard several expletives flying. He and the passenger we apparently arguing over their version of what traits make a woman the most appealing. As they stepped out of the vehicle I noticed the torn jeans, the stained shirts, and the driver was wearing a hat that was extremely distasteful, not to mention the year’s worth of fast food bags piled high in the driver’s cabin!

I have over 27years in the construction industry, so I am not a prude, nor am I offended personally by these things. But the majority of the public would rather not be subjected to this kind of language and behavior. Either way, it is not professional, and I am sure that most companies would rather not have their brand portrayed that way.

As the men walked into the store, they stepped in front of an older lady, went through the door and allowed the door to slam shut in the older woman’s face. To which she commented, “I guess chivalry really is dead!”

The ironic part of this story is that this company spends a ton of money on advertising every year to gain the patronage of their customers and portray a successful and professional company. Then, in a matter of seconds, these employees shattered that image.

I cannot express enough to my team the moral of this story. It doesn’t matter if they are on the job or not. As long as they are in a company uniform, a company vehicle, or representing the company in any way, they are the face of M.C. Dean and will conduct themselves accordingly. In life, you only get one chance for a first impression-- so you better make it count. Ask yourself, “what does my company stand for, what brand message do I want to communicate?”, and then make sure that it is followed by your team, every second of every day. Eventually you will build a culture of behavior that will transcend the workplace and truly reflect the company’s, and the teams’, passion.