In a world where people prefer texting over talking; creating meaningful, personal connections with customers is more challenging - and more important than ever. When a brand struggles with this, the issue isn’t that their customer service isn’t good enough, it’s that it isn’t early enough.
Mary Delia Allen, 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, shows why the first few seconds of customer interaction are crucial to creating long-lasting loyalty. The way you welcome a customer doesn’t just set the tone for their visit—it can fundamentally transform your company’s customer relationships, leading to better retention, happier customers, and measurable business growth.
In “The Welcoming Edge ” Mary Delia shares incredible lessons and stories from brands like Wal-Mart, Chick Fil-A, and The Four Seasons and actionable insights and proven strategies that she developed working with brands like The NFL, Bank of America, T-Mobile, and many others. This session will teach you how to reframe your customer service approach by ensuring that initial interactions set the stage for long-term satisfaction and measurable business success.
Key Learnings:
Understand and communicate the impact of first impressions on customer satisfaction, repeat business, and overall company performance.
Train their team to welcome authentically, ensuring each customer feels seen and valued from the moment they enter.
Implement systems that create consistency in how greetings are delivered, regardless of individual employee personality or role.
Gamify greeting behaviors to encourage engagement and make this critical first interaction a fun and sustainable part of company culture.
