Just because all of the information is out there for potential customers to read doesn’t mean the message is being communicated clearly to them. This picture is an excellent example. I saw this sign board in South Dakota and had to read it a couple of times to decipher and digest the information properly. Initially, it looked like a jumbled mess of words to me. While the owner or manager of the hotel may have known exactly what all of those words meant, their potential customers were having a hard time figuring it out.

Am I being picky here? I don’t think so. Honestly, the first line was the only line on the entire sign that was clear in its message. When I first read the remaining lines, these are the questions that immediately came to my mind:

1. Is that a price listed there? There isn’t a dollar sign or a decimal point.

2. “Pets Kids Stay Free” — So, if my dog had puppies or my cat had kittens, they were able to stay for free?

3. I’ve never seen or experienced an indoor pool spa.

4. “Meal Deals” — Does this mean I could play ‘deal or no deal’ with my waiter or waitress regarding the price of my meal?

Yes, I may be stretching it on a couple of these items. However, the larger issue here lies in poor communication. While this is a simple sign, it represents this hotel. Unfortunately, it was doing a very poor job for them.

As a business owner or manager, are you communicating with your customers properly? Do your marketing materials, letters, newsletters, email campaigns accurately reflect the professionalism you desire to project to your customers?