I recently took my car in for a tune-up. At the check-in line was a sign saying, “We want to buy your car,” and inviting inquiries.

Well, that’s only half true, since it was only half a sign. The rest had been ripped off the pole.

Was this caused by bad driving? An upset customer? Either way, this sign delivered an impression of “We’re sloppy.”

Now I’ve been going to this dealership for seven years, so they know my business is pretty solid. Yet I couldn’t help but wonder what new customers would think about the people servicing their cars upon seeing this sign.

Such disastrous messaging should never have been seen by the public. At 9AM Saturday, a dozen techs and salespeople ran past the sign over a 20-minute period. When I returned at 4PM, the place was still fully staffed, and the half-eaten sign still hung there.

To my mind, this is inexcusable. Why wasn’t a new sign made at a one-day print shop? Even if that wasn’t an option, why wasn’t the smashed one at least removed?

True, I was able to understand the message Honda was trying to impart, but the damage a sign in that condition does for relations with customers and would be customers arguably outweighs any potential business it might bring in.

Whatever you sell, it’s important to recognize that every communications tool you use needs to represent you well. Dog-eared business cards, rumpled shirts or dead website pages all broadcast a message that quality control is not that important to you.

Is this really the message you want for your organization?

Because customers watch everything you do and how you look. New customers, in particular, pay special attention to that first impression you’re making. And if your signage is sloppy, so is that impression.

Take a moment to learn from Harry Truman, who correctly observed, “The buck stops here.” If you’re the boss, responsibility lies with you. You should be paying attention to every detail of your operation, and blaming subordinates won’t cut it. Customers will just move on to someone who pays more attention to quality control.

Keep your marketing tools looking sharp. Because as any carpenter knows, having tools that aren’t sharp is a sure way to hurt yourself.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

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