Why a smile is your best uniform

“A day without a smile is a day lost,” said the great actor Charlie Chaplin.

It may seem like a corny sentence, but it hides several interpretations and interesting ideas, especially when we talk about the smile in the workplace.

Are you wondering how? Read on and you will understand.

We have always said that the work uniform is important for several reasons: it strengthens the corporate identity, expresses the message the company wants to convey and promotes a sense of unity for the staff. But, worn by a mannequin or by a real person, does it manage to convey the same emotions? Perhaps not. Seeing it on a mannequin you can only perceive its aesthetic side, for example, if it is well made, if the colours match, if the company logo is clearly visible, and so on. On the contrary, if worn by a real person, the final result is completely different: the person fills the clothes with his own personality, gestures and emotions, thus managing to emphasize or completely transform the message that he or she transmits. In a nutshell, an elegant blue suit alone would be able to do just a part of the job; it is the responsibility of those who wear it every day to give their best in order to best represent the company.

A smile can change everything

Have you ever noticed that if people see you smiling, then they will smile back at you? Smiling is easy, contagious and makes both those who do it and those who see it feel good. In a shop, hotel, restaurant or bar, welcoming a customer with a smile is important: communication based on corporate values must be reflected in the reality experienced by customers. People return to the companies where they bought, ate or stayed not only for the affordable price, good food or stunning location but also because they found a friendly and competent staff, by whom they felt considered. Hospitality is an essential factor of the Customer Experience, as we will see shortly.

Empathy is the right mean

Empathy is also a powerful factor: the ability to understand a person’s state of mind and identify with them allows you to get in tune.

All this is possible thanks to the Mirror Neurons: these particular neurons are activated when any gesture is made. They are so special because they are put into action not only in the person making a movement but also in the person who is observing it. By perceiving, therefore, what others are feeling, we have the opportunity to understand their emotions and intentions, and thus tune in to their state of mind.

Being empathetic with customers helps create a stable relationship based on trust because they feel listened to and understood. And when a customer trusts us, they will come back a second, a third and even a fourth time, because we have laid the foundation for a lasting and profitable relationship.

The customer experience

Today’s customers are different from those of the past: they are individuals with ideas and values; and on the basis of these values, they choose the companies with which they identify and, consequently, from which to buy. Their priority, therefore, has changed: it is not limited only to obtaining the product or service at affordable prices and quickly. The customer experience is made up of emotions and sensations. Giving a unique and memorable shopping experience helps the company to stand out from its competitors, becoming a voice out of the chorus. Why do people choose a product or a service from a company instead of another one? It seems incredible but the choice will fall on the company with which you had a better customer experience, where you felt considered and understood. This is where empathy comes into play by taking on the role of driving force in creating marketing strategies.

In short…

In the end, Charlie Chaplin wasn’t all wrong: a day without a smile is a day in which you can lose customers. A well-groomed staff in their work uniform, polite and smiling, gives an edge to the image of the company and helps to establish with the customer a long-lasting relationship, promoting possible earnings. Employees are the added values that make the difference because they directly affect the consumer experience and satisfaction.

Check our gallery and discover the right unifrom for you!