I can imagine though, how your story could have ended differently. Had the REI employees all given you a hard time or had they not taken back the jacket it would have made for a more intense negative experience. Maybe not enough to give REI and overall negative score in the way you view their brand, but maybe enough so that one or two other things could have.

Once the overall score swings from positive to negative it can be pretty hard to change back.

Of course there’s a reason why people love REI. They leave you with a lot more positive impressions and associations than negative ones. In your case they even turned the negative experience of a bad jacket and turned it into another positive association with their brand.

But it developed two holes, with a third one starting. Like puncture marks. I saw this and brought it back for a replacement. The holes were only in the inner layer, and not bad, but all three employees I dealt with said they would personally take it back for a replacement, and that I shouldn’t feel bad at all. I told them I’ve never returned anything from REI in my life, and feel like an, well, you know, for this; the employees couldn’t have been nicer. They don’t have the coat I had anywhere in my time zone, so I had to get a slightly different model; almost identical but 2 or 3 oz heavier. And unfortunately it’s just a little warmer … I’ve been able to bike 10+ miles up severe hills and feel comfortable in the jacket; I can’t do that in a sweater. So I’m hoping this one works as well for me, and a little regretful to give up the jacket I fell in love with.

This seems to be my real world example of what you’re talking about. REI has already made a generally positive first impression, and many more after it. But, on my n’th impression, when things were out of the ordinary, and I needed them to show appreciation for my years of business … I expected a fight, and got heart-felt apologies and well-wishes for the future.

I’ve already told several of my friends about the experience, in overwhelmingly positive terms. I’m disappointed they don’t have exactly the same parka, but they let me choose how they could make things right, and kept telling me I was doing the right thing instead of being nitpicky and causing problems. It’s true this is my most recent experience, and I’ve had other very positive ones … but I expected a nasty battle, and instead they were overwhelmingly nice. I won’t shop anywhere else for things I can buy from REI in the future.

The first impression is obviously a major one, and the greater the positive regard, the better. A bit like a hook. The stronger the hook, the less likely your giant squid is less likely to break it. But that doesn’t stop you casting out more lines to try and catch it on even better hooks.

If you take the quote literally, then no, you can’t get a second first chance without time travel or inflicting memory loss on the beholder.

Good analogy about the giant squid. I do think first impressions are important and so are last impressions, but there’s more to it than either. I think of all the people I met and then later changed my mind about or all the people who did something that bothered me at one time, but I instantly forgave them because they had earned it.