I have to eat out a lot when I am traveling. It's always interesting to see how businesses try to create welcoming environments and great personal service.
This past week, I was in the car line at a well known fast food restaurant. As the person greeted me, she asked for my name. As she finished up taking the order, she said a magical word. The word was...
Dale.
"Thank you Dale for eating with us today."
When I got to the pick-up window, I was again met by someone who greeted me with "Hi Dale. Here is your food. Thanks for eating with us today."
I'm just like you and everyone else. My name is music to my ears. When someone goes out of the way to address me by my name, it makes a great impression.
Most of the time, the opposite happens. The person at the window approaches with a look that says, "I don't like working here" and "I'm sure not going to go out of my way to call you by name."
This is a reminder of one simple step that can take your guest services to the next level.
Use people's names when you are talking with them. It makes a great impression, especially when it is their first time to visit your ministry. When you address people by their name, it will set you apart from the other places they go and interact with.
Name tags normally provide us with an easy way to remember guests' names. But there are situations where you will be introduced to a new family that hasn't gotten checked in yet. If you are like me, I have a hard time remembering people's names that I have just met.
I have a friend who is excellent at meeting new people and remembering their names. I asked him how he became so good at remembering peoples' names. He told me when he hears the person's name, he repeats it 10 times in his head. This enables him to call guests by their name.
This has been a short post, but I hope you get the main point. Say people's names often...especially first time guest families. It will make a difference. And it will take your guest service experience to the next level.