The Welcoming Edge

In a world where people prefer texting over talking; creating meaningful, personal connections with customers is more challenging - and more important than ever. When a brand struggles with this, the issue isn’t that their customer service isn’t good enough, it’s that it isn’t early enough.

Mary Delia Allen,  20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, shows why the first few seconds of customer interaction are crucial to creating long-lasting loyalty. The way you welcome a customer doesn’t just set the tone for their visit—it can fundamentally transform your company’s customer relationships, leading to better retention, happier customers, and measurable business growth.

In “The Welcoming Edge ” Mary Delia shares incredible lessons and stories from brands like Wal-Mart, Chick Fil-A, and The Four Seasons and actionable insights and proven strategies that she developed working with brands like The NFL, Bank of America, T-Mobile, and many others. This session will teach you how to reframe your customer service approach by ensuring that initial interactions set the stage for long-term satisfaction and measurable business success.

• Understand and communicate the impact of first impressions on customer satisfaction, repeat business, and overall company performance.
• Train their team to welcome authentically, ensuring each customer feels seen and valued from the moment they enter.
• Implement systems that create consistency in how greetings are delivered, regardless of individual employee personality or role.
• Gamify greeting behaviors to encourage engagement and make this critical first interaction a fun and sustainable part of company culture.