Image Credit: Jessica

I have lived in cities of all kinds, from huge (Houston, TX), to small (Paso Robles, CA), and in-between (Lubbock). It never ceases to amaze me, though, how trusting people are that live in Lubbock.

On the one hand, this is no doubt a good thing that people feel comfortable and trust the people around them. I frequent a local coffee shop to work and meet with clients. I sit down, I setup my laptop, take the lid off of my steaming coffee (or tea, depending on my mood), and get settled in. This routine is pretty common, and just about everyone else in the place has followed those same steps, with the exception of maybe taking the lid off of their cups.

The difference between them and me? I don’t feel comfortable just leaving my setup unattended for minutes at a time. I wouldn’t leave it unattended to run out to the parking lot to meet a friend and chit-chat for 15 minutes (especially if that friend was parked in a place that didn’t give me visual access to the door of the coffee shop). I’m referencing a scene I observed this afternoon – a girl had her purse, her computer bag, her MacBook pro, and her cell phone out on or under the table, and when her friend called her, she went outside and left everything, including her purse, there at the table, unattended.

But I think there is a hidden positive to this whole thing, and a tie-in to how businesses should build environments that make people comfortable, and trusting. An interesting difference between this coffee shop and the Starbucks, that is not but 400 yards down the street on a busy corner, is that I have never seen anyone so trusting at the Starbucks. Perhaps it is simply the patrons, but I believe it is more than that.

I think deep-down, people have an assumed position that Starbucks is not a place that has the environment required to feel safe leaving personal belongings out and unattended. It does not have that ‘home-town’ feel – even in Lubbock, where everyone is proud to call this the “biggest small town” they’ve ever known.

If more businesses worked to create this trusting and safe environment, I believe people would be more open to doing business (and more business) with the company. For example, if a furniture store did more to make the place feel like you were just relaxing at home, watching the ball game, drinkin’ a beverage (adult or non-adult, your preference, of course), then I believe the customers would more open up and actually listen to a salesperson give them information about the recliner they just leaned back. And ultimately, profit would increase.

I’m curious, though: what do you think?

Do businesses need to create ‘home-town’ environments that make their customers relax, and let down their ‘salesman stay back’ forcefield? Especially those businesses that really have products/services that truly benefit the customer and aren’t just trying to push something the customer doesn’t want or need? Do you have an example of a business that has done a good job in making you feel comfortable? Did that extra comfort ultimately lead you to make a purchase, or bring you back for repeat business? Give me your take in the comments.