I was driving to Atlanta this past week. I enjoy the alone time, I get to make calls, listen to the radio and catch up on podcasts, etc.

But I admit, I get tired. Enter, PepsiMax. The best caffeinated drink to enter the picture in years. It has a kick. I love it.

About half way, I stopped for gas just off the highway in South Carolina. After filling up using my credit card, I entered the store. There didn’t appear to be any customers inside and I didn’t see a cashier. I went to the restroom.

After, I went toward the coolers to get my soda and again noticed how empty the store was. I looked quickly up each aisle, then over to the counter. No one. My heart skipped a beat as I glanced back at the line of PepsiMax.

I thought, do I call out “hello?” or do I look on the floor behind the counter to see if there’s a dead body.

I choose none of the above. I left the empty store quickly. And still thirsty.

Have you ever dealt with a company and you wonder if anyone works there? It’s never a good thing obviously. But it seems pervasive. Here are ways that the perception can be developed:

• Don’t keep your website up to date. When people come to your website, if there are no changes, people get bored and disinterested. It appears that no one worked there since the copyright date. I went to a website last week and the copyright was 2007! Change your information regularly!
• Don’t answer Social Media. On facebook, twitter, etc., if someone actually takes the time to comment on something you’ve written, answer them back! As I heard this week at the conference (thank you Cathy Hutchison), it’s as weird as installing a phone line in your company and never answering the phone!
• Don’t follow-up. I’m amazed at how difficult it is to do follow-up. I have about 50 people I need to get back to this week from the conference. But once I return to the office after a week away, it’s hard to slow my life down to do the follow-up. Crazy, since they represent new business opportunities. If someone calls, talks to you, or emails, make sure you follow-up as soon as you can!

Don’t be caught “dead on the floor”. I still wonder why no one was in the store. And I second-guess my decision to leave so abruptly. I should have at least called 911 after a quick search. But then again, the average person who thinks no one’s home at your business, won’t think twice before going to your competition!