Month: May 2017

My Pleasure!

I’ve been hanging out at an event this week and I have seen the best and the worst customer service!! I am working with the company that does all of the parking for the event and they have an amazing vision that says they are in the customer service business, and they happen to park cars!! I love that!! Maybe some of you are wondering; “why the emphasis on customer service, it’s just parking cars,” well let me share something with you… it’s your customer service that will always set you apart!! (Hello!!! Just look at Chick-Fil-A!! Aren’t they just selling a chicken sandwich?!?) There’s a lot of strategy and a ton of hours that go into making a parking plan for each lot. Some lots are paved, but most are grass lots where strategy and creativity rule!! Each lot that is run by this company has guests walking away smiling and excited to attend the event!! There’s one lot though that is located at a nearby airport and guests have to interact with the airport parking staff before arriving at the lot where our team is located. Let’s just say the airport parking employees do not have the same vision or philosophy! Like I said above, I have seen the best and the worst!! The airport staff would benefit greatly from first impression training!! No smile, no clear signage, and not speaking clearly or kindly, I drove away from that interaction feeling frustrated and irritated – not a good combo!

As you think about the guest experience at your church, is there an area that leaves your guests feeling frustrated and irritated? Here are a few questions to ask yourself and your key leaders:

  • Do you have a clear vision?
  • Is everyone on the same page with your philosophy on how and why you do what you do?
  • Are you and your key leaders consistently evaluating the weekly guest experience to identify areas that could be better?
    • What’s working?
    • What’s not working?
    • What’s confusing?

As a team, we try to never lose the guest mentality! I even encourage my key leaders to attend other churches in the area so they can know first hand what it feels like to visit a church for the first time! There’s always room for improvement, right?

If you would like a fresh set of eyes that can help you identify growth opportunities, contact us today! We would love to help you create a strategic plan to make your guest experience unforgettable!!

Cheering you on as you create the best guest experience for your church or organization!!

Written by: Stacey Windover

Stacey is the Guest Experience Consultant at Froot Group, a worship staffing & consulting company.

What do you use to encourage your team? Do you tell the speaker that they just preached a great sermon after that early Sunday morning? Do you tell your favorite worship leader that their voice sounds angelic every time they steps on platform? How about the chairs team? Do you thank them for all their hard work and faithfulness to the church, and the ministry that God is using them for? Absolutely. Continue reading

Listen Up!

Pastor’s are known as talkers.  They speak to people every week.  Forty-five minutes during a Sunday morning.  Thirty minutes at a Bible Study.  Twenty minutes at a prayer group.  They talk.

Worship leaders are known as singers.  They sing to people every chance they get.  Sunday morning church, rehearsals, private lessons, weddings…always singing.

But when have we, as pastors or leaders, just listened?

Franklin D Roosevelt (32nd President) loved to entertain guests at the White House.  His desire for connecting with people become so popular that he had to create a line and have everyone pass by while he shook hands and conversed.  One day he had been feeling as if people weren’t really listening to him so he tried something… as he greeted each guest he would whisper as they were walking away, “I murdered my grandmother.”  Everyone gave similar responses, “You’re doing a great job,”  or “Nice to meet you,” or “Great, keep up the good work.”  Roosevelt became pretty upset until the ambassador to Bolivia come by.  When Roosevelt whispered, “I murdered my grandmother,” the ambassador leaned in and said, “Well sir, I’m sure she had it coming.

The people we serve have a story they are living, and they need to share it.  The job promotion they just received, the news of an illness, personal struggles, they all are happening in the people around us every day.  And we need to hear about it.  But that requires a skill very few have mastered:  listening.

My challenge to you this week is simple…stop talking long enough to allow others to tell their story.  When given the space to be heard, you will be amazed at what people will share with you.  And when you are a good listener to them, you will better know how to speak to them.

Written by: Dave Feltman

Dave is a Search Coach for Froot Group, a worship staffing & consulting company.

So…you’re looking to build a greeting team? Here’s how to get started!

Your greeting team is one of the most influential parts of church growth. These are the first people that your guests will get to interact with. Some guests will even base their overall experience off the first impression of your church.

Growing up in the church, the greeting team or guest experience team was never something that our church did. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to do it, we just didn’t know where to start or how to get people on board with the idea. Here are a couple things to think about when starting your greeting team!

What will you call this ministry?

There are many of great names out there like greeting team, guest experience, first impressions, and hospitality team. There is no right or wrong answer, choose one and let your church know!

Who will lead this ministry?

Is this a paid position, or is this a volunteer spot? Sometimes the best answer as to who should lead this ministry is the one person who is asking for it!

How will you get people to join, and who should join?

Asking people to join is one of the easiest and most effective ways when building a team. A simple email, sign-up sheet, or face to face invite are just a few ways you can gather a team. It’s always a good idea to find people that are outgoing. Greeting complete strangers is very intimidating, especially for the introvert.

Do you have team expectations?

Most people enjoy getting involved, but sometimes we forget to explain to them what they will be doing and what is expected of them. We can communicate this through team training.  Finding a night that works best for all team members is ideal. There you can share the vision and ideas they will need when greeting someone for the first time!

What are a few items needed to get started?

Find the funds to purchase nametags for all your greeters. Nametags are a great way to personalize your greeters and the team.

Here are a few simple tips for your greeting team:

  • Before church, say things like, “Hi, Good Morning, Welcome to Church!”
  • And after church saying things like, “Hope you have a fantastic day! See you next week! Thanks for coming!”

Church should be the most fun, joy-filled place on earth! Don’t forget to smile.

Written by Derek Harsch

Derek is the Marketing Director at Froot Group, a worship staffing company.

 

Are you taking care of your garden?

Last week, my husband and I were out in the garden pulling weeds and getting things ready to lay mulch for the summer. We talked about what bulbs we wanted to plant and which shrubs needed transplanted. So much work was already going into this flower bed and so much work still lies ahead. Every year we do this in hopes of having one of those flower beds that make you feel like you’re in the Garden of Eden! Let’s be honest though…that never quite happens! Don’t get me wrong, it’s still beautiful and well worth the effort. It’s just that it would take a fortune, not to mention the time, to plant something that’s even a fraction of something similar to “The Garden”!

So what do we do?

We fill in with bits and pieces of what we can afford and set aside small pieces of time to work in our garden to maintain it’s beauty. We take pictures of our labor and share them with our friends and family. We water, pull weeds and take care of each blossom, fruit and vegetable.

This whole gardening project made me think of the volunteers in our churches. Are you taking care of your “garden”? As ministry leaders, we need to make sure that we take care of the people serving in our ministries and show appreciation for what they do for our churches. These people have jobs, full time…part time…family…activities, yet they’re taking time out of their schedule to serve in your ministry. Have you stopped to thank them? These people get tired and depressed just like everyone else and would probably appreciate an acknowledgement of their service. Just like you, they might even question if they’re really making a difference in the lives of those they’re reaching. How are you taking care of your volunteers? How are you showing them that you appreciate them? If you’re looking for some ideas of your own, check out the small list that I’ve put together below to get you started. Comment if you have a great idea that’s worked. We’re all looking for something new to use to say “Thank You”. From all of us at Froot Group and MinistryJobs, THANK YOU for what you do!

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Written by Meggan Jacobus

Meggan is the Staffing Manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing company.