Hardwiring Hospitality into Healthcare Module Nine: Creating Warm Welcomes and Fond Farewells

You never get a second chance to make a first impression—or a last impression. Every patient, family member, and employee remembers how they were welcomed and how they were sent on their way.

In this session, participants will learn how to intentionally create memorable beginnings and meaningful endings by applying the 7/11 Rule: within the first seven seconds, people form up to eleven impressions. Through body language, eye contact, tone of voice, and intentional words, you'll discover how warm welcomes build trust, fond farewells create lasting loyalty, and every interaction becomes an opportunity to leave people feeling seen, valued, and cared for.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain why first and last impressions become the most memorable moments of the patient experience and describe the science behind the Peak-End Rule.
2. Apply the 7/11 Rule to intentionally create warm welcomes through body language, eye contact, tone of voice, and meaningful conversation.
3. Create fond farewells that leave patients, families, and coworkers feeling appreciated, respected, and confident about their experience.
4. Design simple, repeatable behaviors that "bookend" every encounter with meaningful beginnings and endings, building trust, loyalty, and lasting memories.