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| BACK TO CHURCH - Welcoming - Synthesis Of Customer Service In The Context Of Mission |
| posted: Monday 12 October 2009 |
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 • Ensure business or mission strategy is drawn up by Parishioners
• Complete mental journey of your church as if brand new to the area.
What is the first thing you will want to see?
1. What’s available? An easy reference to where the church(es) are and what they offer - High church puts some off, low church not enough formality.
2. Where is it, or how to contact, a number and name - The Right Reverend John Meddlesome DD MA or John and a mobile number or “only ring the Parish Office between the hours of 10.00 and 12.00”, hardly convenient to those who work and not exactly a welcoming message; check your answer phone message.
3. Where does a visitor find this info - libraries, in the press, what a drag, a visit from a neighbouring parishioner or a booklet posted through every newcomer’s letter box.
4. What system have you in place to find out when newcomers move in to your area?
5. Does a visitor know how to get there, an address or post code for the Sat Nav.
6. How easy is the car park? Is it the Pub or Business car park with “Patrons only” or “reserved for” signs and so am I allowed to park there? Remember it probably won’t be a Sunday when your newcomer makes his first visit.
7. Which way to the church and is there an easy sign-posted path to follow. It might be obvious to you but check.
8. The all important notice board on the approach - should it be a catalogue of services or a list of Parish activities? In arcane gilt and gold lettering? Looks good but what silent message? Old Fashioned?
9. Make sure any notice board is up to date and reflects your wider community - people like to know what‘s going on.
10. Avoid negatives “Do not throw confetti” The thermometer showing your attempts at fund raising. What message does that send? They’re only after my money again!
11. The porch. “This church is kept locked because of vandalism” - that negative message again. An alternative “Welcome to our Church the keys are readily available from….”
12. Use positive words – come in ,explore, feel free and so on
13. Those keys? Map of how to find the house and a name to ask for? Someone always there to hand out the key? Will they offer coffee and biscuits, a warm chat, accompany the visitor to turn on the lights and explain the geography.
14. Does the door handle turn easily and quietly
15. Is the step down clearly painted
16. Use words and language which helps visitors relax.
17. Idiot’s guide to the Church and the Service
18. Table, chair and flowers for visitors to sit and read the latest Parish Magazine. Quirky stories about your parish and people.
19. Use the same font, colour and theme for all printing
20. Be alert to unfortunate juxtaposition of phrases
• Complete the reality tour for the inside - nave, chancel, choir stalls, side chapels and so on. Friendly notices, visitor’s table, leaflets
• Benches in the churchyard so people can sit and admire, enjoy the peace and quiet, reflect how friendly you are
• Does your church exude a friendly welcome, a place of prayer, is it clean, bright, tidy, just as you would wish your home to present to a visitor.
• All about perception and hospitality
• The people your visitors meet will encourage or dissuade - e.g. restaurants succeed not just for food but for service
• Give visitors an experience that is so worthwhile they want to come back again and again. Word or mouth recommendation is the best advert.
• You have to be offering something they want
• The message along with your premises has to be clearly understood and read.
• Making someone welcome is one of the main reasons they return. Simple things such as smiling, saying hello, name badges for your team, showing them to a seat and which seat, telling them about the tea and coffee, completing a simple welcome card, all these make an impression. A who’s who or what’s what on every seat
• Train your team to recognise and help if they see someone having difficulty following the service? E.g. experience at Ampleforth
• If you can win the high ground at the time of emotional engagement you have a customer for life.
• There’s not one way to greet people or make people feel welcome
• Every visitor should leave having had a good experience
• Acknowledgement, Build and Close - ABC. Acknowledging and then approaching, asking the right questions to Build a relationship. Closing to gain commitment to repeat. Throughout the individual should feel welcomed, comfortable and special
• Always aim for quality person to person contact by all
• Manage your human resources. train, develop, coach. Don’t put up with that liability, you cannot afford damage limitation for their behaviour
• Focus on behaviour but identify tasks. So much of what makes for a nice welcome is a task. Smiling, saying hello, handing out a guide to the church, showing to a pew all these are tasks not behaviours and therefore can be set and measured. Trying to change behaviour is much more challenging so concentrate on the simple side first.
• Identify someone who can provide a constant walking and smiling contact for your visitor, spotting when they need to be acknowledged and spoken to. They also can observe your team.
• Consider monitoring performance and having regular 1 to 1 meetings with every member of your flock - focused on customer service.
• Avoid complacency - your product will not automatically attract customers.
• A message or product is only right until the next right comes along. The definition of folly after all is to keep doing what you have been doing ….. And expect a different result. So keep the product the same make the packaging different.
• Identify your market. Who are your customers what are their needs. Not just physical or mental, their experience or age, or tailoring your service (with the very young in mind e.g.). The time of year, not the Church’s calendar - but holidays, back to school, the weather - all play a part and should influence your welcome both large and small.
• Be alive to change. E.g. example of both Mother and the single women feeling alienated from the Family Communion.
• Conduct focus groups of invited customers to tell you what they think of you so you can hear and improve
• Likewise exit surveys to discover visitor’s instant reaction to their experience that day.
• Visiting is important: three categories; visiting those in need like the sick; those who are new to the church or area; knocking on doors you haven’t visited before. Getting members of your congregation to get out there will reap rewards.
• Sidesmen and women should greet everybody by name? Wear name badges.
• Friendly who’s who, what’s what on every seat. All your congregation act as the welcoming party
• Maximise opportunity when a captive audience. The wedding couple, the funeral party (how many parishioners do you draft in to speak and comfort the mourners)
• Ensure technology up to date; functional; rehearsed;
• Look for ways your buildings can be used for non ecclesiastical functions, being a host for other organisations introduces your presence to a wider community
• Encourage parishioners to get involved in neighbourhood activity so they can spread your word
• Your flock are fundamental in attracting and retaining your customers
• McCullough 3 minute rule
• Inclusive environment at the post service gathering
So in summary - actively seek out the new member, make your premises available, ensure accessibility, remove the mystique, create the right environment, the right atmosphere, make your and all your parishioners welcome warm, genuine, check your hours and their suitability, the understanding of the helper and visitor, make all communication clear, relevant, punchy, interesting and interested. I’m sure your sure of your product, ensure others are equally so. Remember belonging comes before believing, members of a congregation are more likely to come through friendship, fellowship and inspiring worship than through intellectual application.
Liven up notice boards with photographs that show off what you do and achieve. There should be no limit to your blue sky thinking, think outside the box as to what will attract people to your church and once there what will grab their hearts and minds. Regularly ask your congregation as to how to improve your service to customers, what can we do better. Is Customer Service top of every PCC agenda, if not it ought to be. It emphasises it’s importance, ensures regular review of what’s gone well and what you still need to do.
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