Every time you visit a store, town or city, there is a sign welcoming you. Of course, there is often a considerable difference between the welcome message on the sign and the warmth of the welcome you actually receive.
Here’s a great example of the power of delivering on a welcome message, and the positive impact it can have.
Welcome to Jedburgh
Yesterday, I visited a small town in Scotland called Jedburgh. As I drove past their “Welcome to Jedburgh” sign, I saw another sign shortly after, telling us that the town provides visitors with free wifi. This turned out to be really useful and allowed me to quickly upload photos to my Instagram account and access Google Maps, etc. Then, as we drove into the main town car park we discovered that the reason we couldn’t find a machine to pay for our parking, was that parking was free too. The people working in their visitor attractions and local shops were friendly and we left the town, with the feeling that the town had truly been welcoming.
The difference between a welcome message and a welcoming experience
The reason I find myself recommending the town to my friends, is not because they invested in a huge, expensive welcome sign. It’s because of the welcome we received and the effort the town’s council made in delivering visitor-friendly resources.
In short: A warm welcome is not something we get from a sign or a well crafted slogan. For it to mean anything to our clients and customers, our welcome needs to be delivered via a welcoming, human experience.
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Photo: Jedburgh.org.uk
Nice post. You should be getting commission from Jedburgh for doing such a good job at promoting the town!
That’s the whole point. When the welcome is that good, you don’t have to pay people to spread the word about how impressed they are. Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Jim,
I’ll be up there too in a couple of week.
I’m from that part of the world so I am glad to see that they are taking care of you. Enjoy your visit
Adrian
Thanks Adrian!
Good points! It’s an attitude – a state of mind that makes your “promise” a reality. You can just tell if someone (or some business) really cares or not, can’t you?
I agree, Carmelo. You can sense fake sincerity a mile away.
Nice story to share, Jim! Yes, it’s the experience we provide on a consistent basis that forms the impressions people take feel from us. Signs, websites and other forms of communication are meaningless unless there is regular action to back it up! Thanks for another good post! Enjoy your week, my friend!
Hi Jim,
It is so wonderful to read this article..A splendid experience which has much greater implications to the online business world. I am also of this same opinion and am building my blog http://unputdownable-entrepreneur.com on the same lines..Provide utmost visitor friendly experience.
I have still a lot to cover but this article puts fresh motivation to provide real value to my visitors.
thanks for such a great post!!
Hi Jim,
Yes – A lot of small towns worldwide has begun offering services like free wifi (obviously capped to a certain extent), yet helping the visitors to return to their towns and putting their towns on the map when it comes to free services and sources (mentions on social media channels and articles in the news etc.) that will help increase the exposure of the town as well as drive traffic (visitors) to the town and its establishments.
What a great message, Jim! I wish that businesses everywhere would read this post to be reminded of the need for a welcoming experience… I’d like to hear your take: has social media impeded the ability of businesses to deliver this “human experience”?
Nice welcoming message here Jim
. It is all about sending out the right vibe.
I have just recently returned from a holiday in Scotland myself, I found myself wandering around a car park for a good 5-10 minutes looking for somewhere to pay. Turned out to be free, I couldn’t believe it. It would appear I have become so accustomed to paying for parking that free parking is a novelty, when did this happen?!