Staff the Doors

Most improvements to your guest services team can be made in 1% increments. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or launch a massive new initiative; a lot of great things can come from a simple tweak. Today’s counsel definitely falls under that heading.

Staff the doors.

Make sure that in every service, every auditorium door has a volunteer seated close by. If there are five exit doors, you need five reserved seats within five feet of those doors. Your volunteers attend service anyway, right? Might as well keep them alert while they’re doing it. Here are a few reasons why staffing the doors is so important:

• It serves your guests. People who leave in the middle of the service are usually leaving for a reason. Emergency bathroom trip, fussy baby, urgent phone call. The micro-act of opening the door helps that mini-crisis go a little smoother.
• It helps with late arrivals. If someone walks into a service that’s already underway, they won’t be immediately aware of what to do next. A well-placed volunteer can keep an eye on open seats and seamlessly lead them there.
• It gives a great vantage point of the auditorium. If vols are placed at doors, they’re getting a full view of everything that is happening inside. That comes in handy if they need to assist a guest or respond to a distraction.
• It bolsters security. In the event of a fire alarm, volunteers can quickly open doors and help with evacuation. In the event of a suspicious person, they’re the first ones to notice and can help keep an eye on things.

Consider asking some of your volunteers to change their normal seating spot this weekend. By staffing the doors, your 1% change can change a lot more than 1% of your culture.

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