First impressions are important. Everyone, at some point, has been given this timeless piece of advice. This isn’t just a folkloric piece of common knowledge, it has actually been proven to be true. Psychological studies have shown that the first impression of someone or something leave an implicit bias long after the initial judgement has been proven to be wrong. This means that subconsciously a first impression stays with someone no matter what happens after.
Most building managers understand this. That is why, when they can afford it, they hire a doorman to help smooth out any glitches that occur when someone new enters an unfamiliar building. For many buildings though, hiring a doorman is not an option.
That is why a number of technologies have popped up to use technology to do the job of a doorman. One of the leaders in this area is ButterflyMX. They are a smart intercom system that can connect visitors with tenants of a building with audio and video that steams to their mobile phones. Now they are helping create that good first impression for buildings by integrating with Mobiledoorman, a custom branded tenant engagement app.
Those positive first impressions of a building are now able to be applied to a building’s own personal brand that to this integration. Cyrus Claffey, CEO of ButterflyMX explained that, “This allows for a seamless, all-in-one experience for the resident to provide access capabilities for guests, contained within their community’s custom app.” This is done thanks to ButterflyMX’s “completely open API.”
Granting access guests and delivery personnel is just the beginning. “In the near future, residents will also be able to receive calls from the front door and access video and audio,” Claffey said. Soon buildings will connect tenants with the outside world via video chat, a huge step up from the clunky intercom systems that most buildings use today.
Even in technology, perception is reality. A building is only smart if the people using it perceive it as smart. No amount of technology inside a building can make up for an awkward experience at the front door. Now that the buildings are thinking about their brand more than ever it makes sense to invest in first impressions.
