RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

How is your return rate for your guests?  The national average is like 7%.  The vast majority of guests don't return for a second visit. 

Let's be real. If a family has a bad first experience, they are not going to return. I don't care how many times you call them, text them, write them a postcard or even go to their house, they are not going to return. 

You only get one opportunity to make an impact.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression. 

Here's five reasons why a family will not return to your church. The good news is this...with a few tweaks or adjustments you can change this and see many more families continue to attend and get plugged in.

You are not maximizing the first 8 minutes. 

Did you know that people decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return to your church or not?  You do not want them spending those 8 minutes trying to find a parking spot or wondering where to enter the building or trying to find out where to check-in. 

Keep track of those 8 minutes. Look for ways to cut that time down. Maybe it's making sure you have plenty of guest parking right by the building or clearly marked entrances on the outside of the building or having greeters who can help guests know where to go. 

The more people you can help maximize those first 8 minutes, the more guests you will see return. 

You are making people wait in line. 

People hate to wait in line. As much as I love going to Disney World, I also get frustrated when I have to wait for an hour to ride something. You don't want your guests to feel that frustration on a smaller scale.

Have a separate check-in area for guests. 

Make sure you have short wait times to drop-off and pick-up kids at their rooms.

Someone was rude to them.  

People will remember how you made them feel. You can have the best children's program in the entire world, but if someone is rude to a family, they are not going to return.  Remember...while no one owns the guests and their time... everyone does own the time they are with them. 

Your front door greeters may be nice to guests, but if the person at the classroom door is rude to them, that is what they will remember. 

A guest's experience is the sum total of all of their interactions with the people on your team.  Train your volunteers to smile and go the second mile to make guests feel welcome and loved. 

Your security is lacking.  

One of parents' greatest expectations is that their child will be safe in your care.  And rightly so. We live in a time of abuse, school shootings, church shootings, kidnappings, trafficking, and more horrible atrocities. 

If parents don't feel safe leaving their child in your care, they will not return. You must build walls of security around your ministry. This includes background checks, no one ever being alone with a child, an armed security team in place, check-in and check-out plan, windows to be able to see in the rooms, and more. Explain to guest parents your safety plan so they feel secure leaving their child in your care.

They didn't make a connection with anyone. 

Yes, you shook their hand when they walked in, but then they were left to fend for themselves.  All of their interactions were superficial.  No one took the time to really talk with them and make them feel welcome.  

They didn't see anyone else who looked like them. Make sure you have some young adults and parents serving as greeters. If all they see is grey hair when they walk in, they may not return.  A healthy church has all generations represented 

Take time to talk with your guests and get to know them. It's all about relationships. If they don't make any connections, they will probably not be back. 

 Have you gotten your copy of my new book - Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Church Guest Services? You can order the book at this link.  

Your turn. What are some other reasons why guests don't return?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Did you know that guests decide if they are going to return to your church in the first 8 minutes of their visit.

What you don't want is for guests to have to spend those 8 minutes trying to get checked in. 

A smooth, easy check-in process is vital if you want to see guests return. 

Guests are already a little on edge as they try to get checked in. 

For many of them, this is the first time in a long time that they are visiting a church. 

Here are some tips to make your check-in process easy and smooth. 

Have a separate check-in area for guests.   

You don't want guests to spend valuable time standing in a long check-in line.  Have your guests check-in area clearly marked and adequately staffed. A big part of giving them a VIP experience is having an area designated just for them to check-in.

Don't require them to give you their entire life history when checking in.  

Just get their basic information. Child's name, age, and birthday. Parents' name, address, phone number, and email. Any allergies.

Always walk them to their classroom. Never just point or give verbal directions. We tend to forget how challenging it can be to navigate a building as a guest.  Personally walk them to their room.  This also gives you a few minutes to talk with them and make friends with them on the way to the classroom.

Explain your safety and security process.  

This is a huge deal. Parents want to know their child will be safe in your care.  

Volunteers have all had background checks done. 

No one is every alone with a child.   

Parents or guardians must present their security tag to pick up their child. 

These are the big 4 things you want to master. Get these four right and you will see guests return for a second visit. 

Here is a text message I recently received from a guest.  

"I thought your registration process was so well done. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and the organization of it was amazing. I really appreciated how well organized and secure the whole process was."  

Due to this, they returned for a second visit and I believe they will become a part of our church.  

BTW - don't forget you only get one opportunity to make a great first impression. Make it count. Families returning hinges on this. 

Have you read my new book "Be Our Church Guest?" This book contains many more tips and trainings on how to make your check-in process go smoothly. You can order it at this link. Many churches have ordered this book for their entire volunteer check-in team. 

If you want to see your guests come back, you have to give them a great first experience. 

Let me tell you how important this is. If a guest has a bad first experience, they are not going to return.  Phone calls won't work.  Text messages won't work.  Emails won't work.  They are not coming back. 

You only have one opportunity to make a great first impression so you have to make it count. 

So where do we start? Let me share with you 5 critical steps to giving guests a great experience.  We'll use the letters in the word GUEST to share these.

G - go the second mile. 

If you want to see guests return, then you have to go the second mile.  You have to exceed their expectations and give them an experience that will have them saying "wow" on the way home. 

There is an organization that goes the second mile for their guests.  The organization is Disney World.

Let me share an example. I have a friend that went to Disney World with his toddler.  His toddler got sick and vomited.  It got all over the little guy's clothes. To make matters even worse, he forgot to bring an extra change of clothes in case something like this happened. 

When it happened, he was standing outside one of the stores in the park.  A Disney employee who saw what happened, came out of the store with a new set of clothes for his child. No charge for the clothes.  No wonder he has become a regular attender of the park.  

The second mile is where you will find guests who return.  

Do this...sit down with your team and talk about some ways you can go the second mile. Put those into practice and you will see guests return.  

G - go the second mile.

U - Understand the needs of your guests.

What are the needs of your guests? 

They need to know where to park.

They need to know where to enter your building.

They need to know where to go once they are inside your building.

They need to be welcomed warmly.

They need to be greeted and shown where to check in.

They need to know where to take their children.

They need to know there are other people like them at your church. 

Sit down with your team and add to this list.  Strategize how you can meet those needs.  Meet those needs and you will see guests return.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

Don't leave them guessing. 

How do they check-in?   

How do they pick up their children?

What happens in the children's rooms during service? 

Explain your safety and security processes. This is a big, big deal.  Parents live in a world that has child abusers, school shootings, kidnapping, etc. They want to know their children will be safe in your care.

Guests can feel overwhelmed on their first visit. Briefly explaining your processes in simple terms can help alleviate some of the stress guests may be feeling.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

Guests may not remember everything about their first visit.  But they will remember how you made them feel.

Treat them in a way that makes them feel valued. 

Listen carefully to their questions and answer them.

Never come across as condescending.  

Never make them feel like they are "bothering" you.  

They should leave thinking "those church people are nice people."  

Think about a time when you were mistreated or felt devalued.  It left a bad taste in your mouth, didn't it? 

Treat people with kindness and you will stand out.  They will return.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

T - take them instead of pointing them.

We forget what it is like to walk into a church and not know where to go. When you finish checking in a guest, it is critical that you walk them to where their room is.   

Have you ever had someone give you directions in a new place?  

"Yeah...go up the steps.  Take a left at the water fountain and then take a right at the end of the hallway.  From there go down five classrooms and you will see the bathrooms.  Go past the bathrooms and take a right at the right hallway and you will be at the room."

What???  How do you expect a new person to find a room with only verbal instructions?  

Always walk guests to their room. Don't just point. It will make a big difference in their experience. Plus, walking them to their room gives you a few minutes to make conversation and make them feel even more welcomed.

G - go the second mile.

U - understand the needs of your guests.

E - explain your processes.

S - speak with kindness.

T - take them instead of pointing them.

Get all five of these working and you will make a great first impression with guests. Get all five of these working in sync and you will see guests return. 

Have you read my new book "Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Church Guest Services?"  It has lots of great insights on how to see guests return. You can get your copy now at this link. 

You probably have some guests each week that come to your ministry.  The big questions are...how do you get them to come back?  How can you see more guests return to your church?

Here are some ways you can see more guests return to your church.

G – GREETERS

Your greeters are usually the first people that guests encounter. Make sure you have good people in these roles. Their attitude about guests will make or break the experience. 

It is also important to have greeters that the guests can relate to. Your greeter team should be made up of kids, teens, young couples, middle-aged people and senior adults. A healthy church will have all generations represented.

U – UNDERSTANDING

Train your volunteers to understand the importance of making new families feel welcome and accepted. You only get one chance to make a good first impression and they are a big part of this. It is important that they understand what their job description is and how they can win in the role.

E - EMPATHY

It is essential that you train your team to see things from the guests’ point of view. They don’t know where to go. They don’t know where to sign in. They don’t know how your safety and security process works. They don’t know where to pick up their child. We forget what it’s like to be a guest at a church. We assume that because we know our way around that everyone else should be able to do the same. 

Don’t assume that the signs you have put up will be enough information for them. They need a person that will walk with them and make them feel loved and welcomed. They need someone who remembers what it is like to visit a new church and has empathy for what guests are experiencing.

S - SMILE

Be friendly. A smile is one of the most important things your team can do. A smile says “We are glad you are here. We are here to serve you and make you feel at home.”

T - TRAINING.  Train your team how to respond and what to do with questions and situations they will encounter. Questions like these:

“What do I do when a parent has lost their pick-up tag?”

“Do we allow siblings of different ages to stay together on their first visit?”

“Where is the closest bathroom?”

“Will you contact me if my child starts crying?”

“Where do I come to pick-up my child after the service?”

“Where is the student ministry area?”

“Do you serve snacks to the kids? Are the snacks gluten free? (You should always ask first time guests about food allergies.)

These are just a few of the questions you should train your guest services team to be able to answer. Do these things well and you will see your guest experience go to the next level.

G -Greeters
U -Understanding
E - Empathy
S - Smile
T -Training

TEAM QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT:

1. Do we ever comp people when we make a mistake?
2. How are we doing with getting back to people when they try to contact us? How quickly do we respond?
3. Are we able to see beyond peoples’ “problems” and realize there is something deeper that is bothering them?

ACTION STEPS: 

1.
2.
3. 

Do you have a copy of my newest book - "Be Our Church Guest?"  It is full of ideas and insight that will help you create a great experience for the guests who come to your church.  You can get it at this link.

The first impression truly is a lasting impression.  If a guest family has a bad first experience at your church, they won't return.

No matter how many times you call them, text them or send them a "thanks for coming " letter, they are not going to be back.

For them to return, you have to make a great first impression. 

A big part of helping families have a great first impression is being careful with your words.  One thing blurted out could cause them to not return.  

Here are 10 statements that you should never say to a guest family.

1. I don't know.  

I don't know.  When spoken it seems so finalizing.  It sends an underlying message that says, "You are not important enough for me to find out the answer.  Good luck with that.

Instead, say...

"That's a great question. Let me find out the answer for you."

2. Are you a visitor?  

Don't use the word "visitor."  It makes someone feel like they are an outsider.  Instead, use the word "guest."  

3. Good luck finding a parking spot.  

Don't let this happen.  Provide great parking spots for guests.  They will walk in the doors of your church in a good mood when they are able to park close to an entrance door.

 4. You are sitting in my seat.

I have seen this happen several times and it is never a good thing.  One time I had brought an unchurched man to church with our family.  When he went to sit down, another couple approached him and said,"these are our reserved seats.  You will need to find some where else to sit."  Needless to say, he did not return.

Help the people in your church to understand that it's not about them.  Rather, it's about reaching unchurched families and that is a cause worth giving your seat up for.

5. Stand up and tell us about your family, where you live and how you were invited to our church.

Most people aren't comfortable standing up and introducing themselves to a crowd of people.  Don't single out guests.  Instead give them a simple way to register that's doesn't involve talking in front of other people.

6.  Go down that hallway.  Take the steps up to the 3rd floor.  Get off and take a right at the water fountain. Go to the 5th door on the right side and you will be there. 

Don't give people directions to their classroom or service.  Instead, walk them there.  This will also give you an opportunity to get to know them better as you walk them to the room.

7.  Fill out this long form to register your child.  It will only take about 15 minutes to complete.

I hate filling out long forms and I'm sure you do as well.  Just get the basic information that you need.  An even better solution is to have a tablet that you use to get the vital information of new families.

8.  Hi. You can get in that line.  I know it's a little long, but they should be able to register you in 15 minutes max.

People hate to wait in line.  Have a separate check-in area for first-time guests.  

9.  Sorry.  We never allow kids to be in another class outside their age range.

There are some "rules" that you can bend on.  This is one of them.  It happens when a guest family has two children that are close in age.  They ask you if their children can stay together since it is their first time and they are nervous and a little afraid.

Bend the rule and let them stay together on the first visit.  This may be the deciding factor if they return or not.  

10.  We only do background checks on people we don't know very well.

As you explain your safety and security policies to a new family, let them know that everyone who serves in your children's ministry must go through an on-boarding process that includes a background check. No exceptions.

As I said at the beginning of this article, you only get one opportunity to make a first impression.  Make sure these 10 points are part of the process and you will see many families return and become a part of your ministry.

The goal is to see them return for a second time and become a part of your church.  

This is not always an easy task.  Stats show that only 7% of guests return for a second time.

That is where I was at.  We were seeing lots of guests come each week, but we couldn't seem to break that 7% return barrier. 

So I decided to put more effort and resources into our guest return strategy. 

We decided to give every guest a gift when they returned.  The gift was a nice t-shirt with our ministry logo on it.  

Here was the strategy. 

Each guest had a personal volunteer who helped them check in.  As the volunteer checked them in and walked them to their classroom, he or she would ask the guests questions like "how did you hear about the church" or "where did you move from" or "what school are you attending" and other small talk questions.

After the volunteer has helped the family get to their rooms, he or she will write out a personal note to the family.  As they write the note, they will mention something specific that they learned about the family.  An example would be a family who moved from Pittsburgh.  The volunteer will mention that in the note. This helps guest families see that the note is specifically for them and not just a standard letter that is used for everyone.

The handwritten postcard also has a return invite and says if they return the card the next time they attend, the kids will receive the t-shirt. 

Once we did this, our percentage return rate went from 7% to 38%.  The investment we made started paying off as we saw a lot more children and families return and get plugged into the church.  Many of the kids wore their shirt to school which helped spread the word about our ministry. 

This strategy can be used not only for church services but events like fall festival, family events, summer programming, etc. 

I want to encourage you to take a look at what percentage of your guests are returning.  

Put time and effort into implementing a strategy that will increase your percentage. I believe you can double the number of guests who return.

Your turn. What strategies do you use to encourage guests to return?  What is your percentage?  Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.

How you treat people determines if they will return to your church for a second visit.  And often,  it will be a determining factor if they keep coming and become a part of your church family. 

Remember this...people won't remember everything they heard in the sermon or what free gift you gave them for coming or how many people shook their hand when you asked them to greet someone near them.  

But they will remember how you made them "feel."  And that is tied to the customer service experience you give them.  You must go beyond and above their expectations.  

Let's look at 5 examples of great customer service.

Help Out During a Dilemma

A friend of mine went to Disney World with his wife and baby.  While there, their baby got sick and started throwing up his formula.  It was so bad that the baby threw up all over his own clothes.  They were in a dilemma.  They had forgot to bring an extra pair of clothes and now their baby was covered in throw up.  

This happened right in front of a Disney store.  Seeing that the family didn't have any fresh clothes to change their baby into, an employee went out to them with brand new clothes from the store.  No charge...amazing customer service.

Go the Second Mile

When you deliver beyond the guests' expectations or add a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression.  

As you are helping a new family check-in, ask some questions like "what's your favorite candy?  What do you like to do for fun?  Who is your favorite super hero?"  Make a mental note and then during the service, jump in your car and run to Target or Walmart.  Buy one of the things they told you they like and have it ready to give to them at check-out.