APPLETON, WIS. — Lately, I’ve heard the phrase “perception is reality” used in several different, unrelated conversations. Since she was the first person who I heard mention it, I called Diana Van Brunt of Westbank Cleaners, Austin, Texas, to ask her what she meant.
In essence, it’s how the customer interprets someone’s actions or words, she says. “If you ask someone to wash the dishes, they may choose to run the dishwasher, or wash them in the sink, or use disposable plates. It’s the perception of washing dishes.”
I’ve reviewed tens of thousands of mystery shop reports and have seen how a single experience can alter a customer’s perception.
EXPERIENCE 1A
Reality: The computers at the front counter aren’t working.
