Take a Second Look
If there’s a common fault of most guest services teams in most churches in most of America, it’s the curse of familiarity. We execute ministry week in and week out in the same facility, surrounded by the same people, and running through the same motions of the same process.
Familiarity isn’t all terrible, unless it causes us to overlook the obvious details that are right in front of us. We pass by fixable issues, refusing to give them a second glance because – if we’re honest – we kind of ignored them on the first glance.
If we’re going to capitalize on the details, we have to start majoring in the “Second Look” principle. This principle, which I made up just one sentence ago, is what sets churches, business, and customer service models apart from everyone else. It’s the second glance that helps you see what you missed in the first. It’s the over-the-shoulder review that highlights what would have gone unnoticed.
The second look helps you catch the gum wrapper on the sidewalk.
The second look means that you know there are paper towels in the dispenser you used, as well as the other dispensers in the restroom.
The second look means that a guest doesn’t go without a greeting.
The second look sees the smudge, smells the odor, notices the locked door, and replaces the burned-out light bulb.
The second look takes intention. It takes practice. It takes a continual commitment to making sure that this week’s quality matches or surpasses last week’s standard.
Get in the habit of taking a second look. Because chances are, your guests already have.
