Cross Industry White Paper: The Power Of First Impressions

About this white paper

In hospitality, retail, and leisure, the customer experience starts the moment someone walks through your door. But what if your reception area is doing more harm than good? This white paper explores how tired or uninspiring reception areas can negatively impact customer perceptions.

It was created by Saturn Visual Solutions, a digital signage consultancy that works with businesses in the leisure, retail and hospitality sector helping them to improve their customers’ experience and to be more profitable. Saturn commissioned a market research agency to carry out a survey and has used the results to create this white paper.

Download this free white paper

Key takeaways

In this white paper you will learn:

• 74% of people say a dull or uninspiring reception gives them a negative perception of a business.
• 36% believe it shows the company doesn’t care about its customers.
• 29% think it makes the business look outdated.

The Power Of First Impressions White Paper – Overview

In hospitality, retail, and leisure, the reception area is more than just a transitional space—it’s the first chapter of the customer experience. It sets expectations, communicates brand values, and influences how people feel about your business before any formal interaction takes place. Yet, despite its importance, many businesses still treat reception areas as an afterthought.
 

Our research findings

A survey was conducted by OnePoll of 2000 adults who live in the UK and are in full or part-time work.

We found a clear and consistent trends in how people perceive reception and entrance areas across the hospitality, retail, and leisure sectors. First impressions matter—particularly when it comes to trust and the likelihood of doing business with a brand.

Below are the most important findings from our survey:

• Nearly three quarters of people (74%) said they would have a negative perception of a business with a dull or uninspiring reception or entrance area.
• More than a third (36%) said it made them think that the company doesn’t care about its customers or creating a good first impression
• 29 per cent said it makes them think the business is ‘behind the times’
• 25 per cent said it made them think that the company doesn’t have good attention to detail
• 23 per cent said it made them think that the company and its staff were unfriendly
• One in five people (21%) said it made them think that the company was ‘cheapskate’

Gender differences

Men are more sensitive to first impressions than women. For example:

• 30 per cent of women said a dull reception area wouldn’t affect how much they spent with a company. Only 22 per cent of men in the sample group felt the same.
• 31 per cent of men said a tired-looking entrance makes them think the business is behind the times, versus 27 per cent of women.
• Men were also more likely to think that a dull reception area indicated that the company was cheapskate (24%) as opposed to women (19%)

Our research reveals a clear and consistent trend: people notice reception areas, and they make judgments based on what they see. A tired, dull, or uninspiring entrance doesn’t just look uninviting—it sends a message. It suggests that the business is outdated, inattentive to detail, or indifferent to customer experience. These impressions can be difficult to reverse and influence whether someone chooses to engage with your brand at all.

Solutions

In sectors where many offerings are similar—hotels, gyms, restaurants, retail stores—a memorable and engaging entrance area is an investment that can set you apart. It’s a chance to showcase your brand personality, highlight your unique selling points, and create a sense of welcome and belonging. When done well, it can elevate your customer experience and encourage repeat visits.

Digital signage plays a vital role in achieving this transformation. Unlike static décor, digital displays are dynamic, adaptable, and interactive. They allow businesses to tailor content to different audiences, update messaging in real time, and create immersive visual experiences that resonate with visitors.

The PDF of of our The Power Of First Impressions white paper gives a snapshot of just some of the ways digital signage technology can be used to improve the customer experience, and is downloadable here.

If you have a project you want to discuss or you want to learn more about using digital signage to enhance your business’s reception space to deliver a better first impression, call our team now on 0161 222 0706 or email us at info@saturnvisual.com.