Chapter 1 First Impressions

Chapter 1 First Impressions

“Best Impressions in Hospitality”

By Angie Michael

Objectives

After reading the chapter you should be able to:

• Understand the impact of first impressions in human interaction.
• List the basic clues that people use to judge us in the first seconds of meetings.
• State the importance of presenting a professional business image in the hospitality industry.
• Identify the impact that your dress and presentation have on your career and in the organization.
• Describe the critical role that employees play in attracting and keeping customers.

Introduction

• Like it or not, most people judge us by what they see. In the first few seconds of meeting, they have assessed us and make a judgment—positive or negative—that is not easily changed.
• By the time we open our mouths to speak, our words will account for only a portion of a person's perception of us. The rest is based on our tone of voice and the way we look and move.

We look for clues such as clothing choices, grooming and demeanor to tell us about their trustworthiness, credibility, effectiveness. Cleanliness, attention to detail and more.

• We look for clues such as clothing choices, grooming and demeanor to tell us about their trustworthiness, credibility, effectiveness. Cleanliness, attention to detail and more.
• These clues are also a shortcut to evaluating a business establishment.
• By observing the appearance and body language of the personnel, a customer judges—again, positively or negatively—whether or not he or she want to do business there.

Personal appearance, grooming, body language and the first words we say are tools we can use to influence the visual impact we make during our first moments with a new person.

• Personal appearance, grooming, body language and the first words we say are tools we can use to influence the visual impact we make during our first moments with a new person.
• When we understand how much we influence other by our dress and appearance, we become much more careful in selecting what we were to face the world each day.