RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

You probably have many different places where volunteers can serve.  

Teacher

Small group leader

Worship leader

VBS

Summer Camp

Mid-week programming

Kids' Choir

...just to name a few.  

Out of all of those opportunities you have to decide where to place your best volunteers.  

The volunteers who show up on time.  

The volunteers who are naturally people persons. 

The volunteers who seem to always be smiling. 

The volunteers who are outgoing and can make friends quickly. 

The volunteers who are welcoming.

The volunteers who know how to make people feel loved and accepted. 

Write down their names.  

Then be strategic in moving them into a specific role. (of course, you will need to adjust some people who are serving in other areas).  But make it your goal to fill a certain serving area with these people. 

What part of your ministry should you be focusing on and making sure your very best volunteers are in that area?  

Here it is.  Where should you put your best volunteers?  

I believe the answer is GUEST SERVICES.

Here are some reasons why.

The first impression truly is a lasting impression.   

Did you know that guests decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return or not?  You've only got one opportunity to make a first impression.  Make it count.  Put your best volunteers in these rolls.  Be very picky about who you are going to place in those roles. 

They should be what I listed above.

Start with training the people who are on the front lines with guests.  Then continue expanding the training to the other people on your team.  

More than likely you have people on your guest services team who are not in their sweet spot.  Move them to other roles and recruit people who know how to love people and engage them in conversation with empathy and compassion.  People who know how to make new families feel comfortable and that can quickly win them over.

This is where I strive to put my best volunteers.  

As you put your best volunteers in guest services, you are setting up your ministry for success as new families enjoy their first welcoming experience at your church.

You can get lots of more tips like this in my new book - Be Our Church Guest.  Click here to order.

 

10. Know what's happening.  It's obviously important to know what is happening in your area of ministry.  But if you want to provide excellent customer service, you will know what is happening in other ministry areas in the church as well.

This can be accomplished by providing key volunteers with the information they need to be in the know.  Give them a card that contains a list of all the events, programs, classes, etc. that are happening that day / week.  This will enable them to give proper information instead of having to say, "I don't know...that's not my area." 

We know this...people decide on their first visit if they are going to return or not.  If you can provide excellent customer service, it greatly enhances the chance that they will return.

This past week, I went to the store to get the oil changed on my car.  Not wanting to wait in line, I got to the store at 8:00 am.  This was the advertised time they opened.

I walked inside to check-in with the employee in charge. Only problem, there was no one at the counter.  I sat down and waited.  20 minutes later, an employee finally walked in.

Not only was she 20 minutes late, her facial expression said, "I hate being here, don't bother me."

I said "good morning," but all I got in return was a grunt.

I don't know what is going on in her life or if she is just naturally grumpy, but she has no business being in a customer service position.  After I finally got checked in for the oil change, I asked her where a specific product was in the store so I could go and get it while waiting for the oil change to be done.

Her response, accompanied with a "don't bother me look," was this.

I HAVE NO IDEA.

And with that proclamation, she turned around and went back to her computer.  I was left to fend for myself.  No help.  No effort.  No acknowledgement.  And yes, it ticked me off.  I didn't show it, but I was feeling it inside.

What does it mean when someone at a place of business says, "I have no idea" and leaves you hanging?

I HAVE NO IDEA says I'm not interested in helping anyone if it's inconvenient for me.  People and their questions are a bother to me.  An interruption.  And I'm definitely not going the second mile for them.

I HAVE NO IDEA says I haven't been trained properly.  When I compare this "I have no idea" attitude against the customer service I get when I'm at Disney, there is no comparison. 

And why is that?  Because the Disney employee has been trained to never say, "I don't know."  They are taught to help with a smile and if they don't know the answer to say, "That's a great question.  Let me find out for you."

I HAVE NO IDEA says the person is in the wrong role.  Employees with a bent toward having a sour attitude should never be placed as a greeter or any other role that involves interaction with people. 

I guess the "I have no idea" experience does have one positive side.  We can learn some lessons from it.

Here are a few takeaways:

Place volunteers in the area of their giftedness and personality.  Often times, we are desperate to fill a vacant spot and so we place a new volunteer in the role...even if it's not their sweet spot.  When that happens, they will have a difficult time and will not thrive.  And it can hurt the ministry because of their attitude or lack of skills for the role.  And it's not their fault...as leaders, when that happens it is our fault.  Remember this...

Don't place volunteers where you need them.  Instead, place them where they need to be.

And where they need to be is where they are gifted and enjoy serving in.  When you place them in the right role, they will thrive.  And when you place them in the wrong role, they may end up with a sour look on their face.

Set volunteers up for success by training them.  When you don't train them properly, you are setting them up for failure.  The lady had obviously not been trained about what to do when someone asks a question she didn't have an answer for.

Train your volunteers in key areas and give them specific steps to take when something pops up that they are not familiar with.

Here are a few examples of training topics:

• Smile.  Smile.  Smile.

• Never say "I don't know."  Instead say, "That's a great question.  Let me find out the answer for you."

• Never point.  Instead, always walk guests to their classroom.

• As soon as a new guest steps in line, acknowledge them and let them know you'll be right with them.

• Create a culture that believes the second mile should be second nature. 

Provide feedback and coaching for volunteers.  The person she reports to should have observed her in the role and then provided feedback.  The goal should be to help her grow and become a better employee.  

There is an art to giving feedback.  Check out this article where I talk about this.  Follow the steps provided and you can become a pro at giving constructive feedback.

I pray the words "I have no idea" will never be heard in your ministry.  Stats show that people decide if they are going to return to your church in the first 8 minutes.  The last thing you want is for a new family to spend those 8 minutes wandering around and trying to figure out things on their own since no one wanted to take the time to help them. 

p.s. Here are two great books that can help you train volunteers and provide great customer service for families.

The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams

If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry
  
Your turn.  What are some areas that you train your greeters and check-in volunteers in?  What do you have your volunteers say when someone asks them a question they don't know the answer to?  
What other customer service tips do you know about?  Share your ideas and insight with us in the comment section below.