What might be going through the minds of your Guests as they walk from the parking lot and into the worship environment of your church for the first time?
Are they nervous? Have they been on campus before? Is it obvious where to enter the building and which door leads into the sanctuary? Are they having a tough morning? Do they see anyone else? Did they have trouble finding a parking spot? Is God about to do something HUGE in their life?
Think of the last three experiences you had as a customer in a non-church environment – how did it go?
Probably not very well, according to studies done by Experience International.
Could it be the teams delivering the experience were only serving to their expectations?
Could something as simple – but powerful – as a smile change your Guest Experience?
THE QUICK SUMMARY – The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney, by J. Jeff Kober
Now in its 2nd edition, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney brings forward new ideas–past and present–for how to take customer service in your organization to a whole new level.
See it from the eyes of J. Jeff Kober, a foremost leader in the best business practices of not only Disney, but some of some of the top world-class organizations. You’ll see concepts not only implemented by Walt Disney himself, but by the dreamers and doers of today–creating high-tech, high-touch experiences for new generations of guests. It will leave you thinking differently about how to approach customer service in your own setting.
A SIMPLE SOLUTION
The smile is the universal language of hospitality and service. When guests see a genuine smile as they approach, they recognize and appreciate your team’s warmth and sincerity.
Smiling is one of the best ways to create a positive first impression, as a smile is visible across distances, even before you have a chance to greet guests with words. Your body language begins with a smile, and what better way to convey to people that you are friendly and glad to see them.
The greatest symbol of traditional customer service is a smile.
Why smile? A large body of work has been done on why smiling matters. A casual look on the Internet reveals the following about a genuine smile:
- Makes us more attractive
- Helps us to change our mood
- Provides us greater attention/ notice from others around us
- Boosts our immune system and overall health
- Utilizes less facial/ neck muscles— approximately 16 facial for smiling and some 43 for frowning
- Lowers the blood pressure
- Helps make people more successful in the long run
- Helps us stay more positive
- Releases endorphins that act as natural painkillers
- Boosts levels of serotonin, which regulates our moods, sleep, sexuality, and appetite
- Acts as a natural painkiller
- Makes us look younger
- Helps pave our mental attitude toward a better future
- Releases a warmer vocal tone
- Becomes contagious with others
- Relieves our stress
- Makes others more comfortable in our presence
- Triggers certain hormones, lowering heart rates, and steadying breathing
- Helps support our immune systems and fight illness
- Helps us to live longer
- Becomes contagious
- Eases the tension in an embarrassing moment
If you want your team to smile, then you need to think about what it takes. A genuine smile represents what is foundational in an authentic display of courtesy.
Jeff Kober, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney
A NEXT STEP
As noted in the quote above, the power of a simple smile to change the attitude of both the person smiling and the person being smiled at is huge. Consider working through the following actions with your hospitality team leaders, and encouraging them to do the same with their team members on a regular basis.
When first meeting a guest, be personable and friendly. Welcome them with a genuine smile, eye contact, and a warm greeting. Rehearse this with your team and consider having a warm up for teams that have contact with guests. Consider it your “engagement calisthenics.”
Before you start your day serving, take a moment in your team huddle and give each other a big smile – just in case you forgot what it looks like, Next, try a frown, next anger, next confusion, and finally apathy. It is important for you to see what guests might see every day – and how it looks on you!
Put a physical and emotional smile on your face the first 30 minutes of every day. Your mind is a neutral instrument; it cannot differentiate between real and imagined. To physically smile and dwell on the positives of work and guests for 30 minutes will change your frame of mind, your outlook, and your mood.
Put a smile in your voice each time you greet someone. It will inject your personality into your voice as well as present a friendly attitude to those people you are greeting. Be sure to give permission to team members to comment quietly if your smile and voice inflection diminish.
Excerpt taken from SUMS Remix #46-3, published August 2016.
I’m proud to be a part of the Auxano team, where our 15 years of onsite Guest Perspective Evaluations with over 500 churches form the basis of the Guest Experience Boot Camp. Held on August 29-30 at The Cove Church in Mooresville, NC (Charlotte), the Boot Camp will provide two days of collaborative learning that will help your church develop its front line. Up to five members of your team can attend for an investment of $1,995 for the whole team.
Learn more and register here.
Part of a weekly series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader
Regular daily reading of books is an important part of my life. It even extends to my vocation, where as Vision Room Curator for Auxano I am responsible for publishing SUMS Remix, a biweekly book “summary” for church leaders. I’m going to peruse back issues of both SUMS and SUMS Remix and publish excerpts each Wednesday.
27gen.com 