Is Your Appearance Keeping You From Getting Clients?

Clients hire computer repair companies to either fix computers or prevent problems with computers. The appearance of the staff shouldn’t make a difference except when it does. If you set some good ground rules, you can let your staff maintain both individuality and professionalism.

The golden rule with my staff is “Clients should remember the quality of your work, not your appearance.” The minute a client comments on the appearance of you or your staff, you have a problem. We aren’t in the fashion industry. We’re there to do a job. We should be inconspicuous. If you set these ground rules in advance with employees, you won’t run into awkward discussions later.

Piercings and Tattoos

Let’s start with the area that seems to be the most contentious: body art and jewelry. Can someone with a bunch of tattoos and piercings be trusted to work on your computer? Of course they can. Do clients always perceive it that way? Not always. Technicians who have piercings need to keep them out of view of the client whenever possible. What’s out of sight of the client is none of their business. The exception are earrings. Earrings should generally be one per ear and should be unremarkable. The type of earrings goes back to what clients notice. If a client would notice or comment on them, it’s not appropriate to wear in the workplace.

Tattoos are a bit harder to deal with. You can’t remove them. The best you can do is cover them up. Long sleeve shirts are going to be your best options here, even in a warm environment. Ink on the hands won’t be terribly noticeable to a client, but art on the face tends to be more obvious. The best you can do here is focus attention away from the face.

When you aren’t sure if a tattoo or piercing is distracting, let your clients be the guide. If they start commenting, it’s a problem. They focus is being pulled away from your business, and you need to fix that problem.

Uniforms and Physical Appearance

Hairstyles and footwear should also follow a no comment rule. Clients shouldn’t comment or notice these aspects of your or your staff’s personal appearance. These are two areas that people try to add some personal style. When clients notice these fashion statements of your technicians, the focus is in the wrong place. Which would you rather hear as a business owner:  “I love the blue hair on your technician” or “I love the service your technician offers”?

Keeping your staff in a standard uniform puts the focus on the work rather than any unique appearance. I’m a big believer in a standard work uniform, especially for those techs who are shy or introverted. A company-branded polo shirt fits into all situations. These usually cost about $20 apiece and less if you provide the shirt. Dark colors work best in these situations as they are least like to show stains. The downside is they fade quicker. If you work in primarily residential environments, standard blue jeans are fine. If you see business clients, you should up your appearance and wear khaki pants. Whichever you decide on for yourself or your team, keep it standard throughout the company.

Everyone at your company who interacts with clients should look the same. That rule is regardless of gender identity or position at the company. That rule also includes bench techs at a shop. Clients may see that bench tech and might lose respect if they don’t see a business confirming appearance. Again, this is an unfair assumption on the client’s part, but it’s something you must deal with. You want to create a consistent brand image and awareness. Everyone is part of the same team and the way people dress should reflect that.

Objections and Complaints From Staff (or Yourself)

You may get some pushback from your staff. You are questioning their personal identity. They may have to spend more money on clothes. You aren’t allowing them to be themselves. That’s the point.

As a business owner, you want them to make decisions consistent with your business philosophy. If they make a mistake or don’t follow a policy, it’s your reputation and company that is at risk. All a staff member risks is loss of a job.

These rules apply to sole proprietors. Solo company owners need to leave some of their individuality at home. Again, you want clients to remember your work and tell others about it. That approach lets the quality of work speak for you, and not be out-shined by your appearance.

When These Rules Don’t Apply

The exception to all this advice is any business which wants to focus on a niche market. The advice of your appearance being unremarkable holds true in a niche market. If your clients are advertising agencies with very relaxed dress codes, your golf shirt and khakis might look out of place. Similarly, if you want to brand yourself as the tattooed computer repair company, then body art fits right in place. It’s consistent with your marketing and image. You need to make this a conscious and deliberate decision for your business. Don’t automatically allow your personal preferences or that of your staff dictate your policy. Set the policy and be consistent. If you document policies in advance, this also gets you out of potential human resource and legal questions.

Most computer companies don’t have branding that reflects on appearance or identity. They focus on quality service and technical competency. Those companies should make sure that employee appearance doesn’t distract from that vision.  You may disagree with some of these approaches, so share your opinion in the comments.

Written by Dave Greenbaum