How Not To Make Good First Impressions With Food Truck Customers

Research on first impressions confirms two very fundamental facts. First impressions happen quickly and subconsciously. The old adage; “you never get a chance to make a first impression,” is true.

Once a first impression is made, customers tend towards confirmation bias. This means they will look for evidence to support that impression and ignoring evidence that contradicts it. In other words, first impressions are hard to overcome.

If the first impression is positive, that can work out well for you and your food truck. If the first impression is a negative one, then you start the customer relationship with a huge negative against your brand.

When thinking about first impressions, I took a look at some of the ways food trucks have made poor first impressions on me. Take a look at what I came up with.

How Not To Make Good First Impressions

Use these ways food trucks have not made a positive first impression on me as a customer to improve your truck.

Not being acknowledged when I walk up to the truck.
Have a disorganized area around your food truck.
Not having a clean truck.
Have a dirty uniform or appearance.
Employees hanging around the outside of the truck.
Have misspelled signage.
Employees smoking outside of the food truck
Staff members talking on cell phones at the service window.
Not answering the phone.
Develop a poorly designed website.
Have a website that is not working or slow.
Have a website that is not mobile responsive.
Not responding on social media.
Respond inappropriately on social media.
Spam me via email.

The Bottom Line

So, there you have it, 15 ways that food trucks have not made a good first impression on me as a customer. I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few. It takes just a quick glance, for someone to evaluate you and your food truck for the first time.

In this short time, they form an opinion about you and your food truck based on you and your staff’s appearance, body language, demeanor, mannerisms, and how you are dressed. No matter if it’s at a food truck event, a business meeting, or any other setting, you have to act quickly in order to provide a good first impression of your food truck.

What are some ways food trucks have made bad first impressions on you? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section or social media. Facebook | Twitter

About the Author: Richard Myrick

Richard Myrick is an architect by degree (Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan) who began his career in real estate development and architectural planning. In September of 2010 he created Mobile Cuisine Magazine to fill an information void he found when he began researching how to start a mobile hotdog cart in Chicago. Richard found that there was no central repository of mobile street food information anywhere on the internet, and with that, the idea for MCM was born. Richard also wrote the "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" available in bookstores everywhere and Amazon. You can reach out to Richard by email at: [email protected].