How Does a Hospitable Culture Apply to the Front Desk?
We’re in an ongoing series called Hospitable Culture. The big question is this: What if hospitality isn’t something we do, it’s simply who we are? In other words, what if we could bump hospitality beyond the borders of an official team, and work it into every crevice of the church?
We often say that the sermon starts in the parking lot. And on the weekends, that’s very true. Our guests don’t experience the overt message from the pastor first, but they do experience the covert message from the volunteer team.
And during the week, we might say that the covert “sermon” starts at the front desk. There are a lot of folks for whom your church’s “front door” will be their first phone call or drop-in to get information, seek help for a crisis, or speak to a pastor.
I’m grateful for a team of people who serve at our various campuses and act as the first face of the Summit staff. They manage the phones, receive vendors, host people arriving for a meeting, and perform a dozen tasks simultaneously. Their first few moments with a guest can make or break a guest’s perception of or relationship with our church.
So how does a hospitable culture apply to the front desk? Here are five principles:
1. Physical presence matters. (But so does virtual connection.)
I recognize that not every church has the staffing to have a “front desk” covered for 40 hours per week. But in our more-connected-than-ever world, it’s entirely possible for someone to get in touch with you even if you’re not actually there. A few practical tips might be in order here:
- Post your office hours clearly on your door, on your outgoing voice messages, and on your website. If you can’t abide by those hours (i.e., an all-staff offsite meeting), put a sign on the door that tells (a) where the staff is and (b) what time they’ll be back.
- Keep in mind that regardless of what your actual office hours are, there is a general expectation of what they should be. If someone reaches out with a crisis at 2 a.m., it’s reasonable that no one will be at the church to take that call. But if the A/C repair guy shows up at 9:30 on a Tuesday morning, it’s reasonable to expect that he can get into the building.
- Consider a doorbell camera with two-way communication to connect with people who come by during “normal” office hours…even if no one is there. Some of our campuses utilize this tool to speak with delivery persons or other vendors, and it’s a great option to make a guest feel cared for even if the physical presence is not possible.
- Rotate the responsibility for being at the front desk, answering the phone, or monitoring the general church email so that your “desk” – whatever that is – is covered during those normal hours.
2. Pastoral care starts at “Hello.”
One thing I especially love about the people who serve at our front desks is their commitment to people…period. I’ve often overheard them praying for someone who called “wanting to talk to a pastor,” and that need was met without actually ever talking to a pastor. I appreciate their calm demeanor, their warm smiles, and their ability to engage in conversation with that person who showed up for a meeting and have to hang out in the lobby for a few minutes.
3. Know the path(s) that people are looking for.
The front desk team has to be the jack-of-all-trades: switchboard operator, facilities overseer, staff wrangler, and keeper of all knowledge. They also need to stay a few steps ahead of whatever thing that guest is asking for. The front desk should know which staff member is best positioned to answer which question (our team maintains a current list for that purpose). They should have a general idea of upcoming events and how to register. And they should be able to hold the hand of the guest to get them from their current point A to their desired point B. Which is why the front desk team must…
4. Interpret on their behalf.
Often when someone is cold-calling the church looking for information, or reaching out in the middle of a crisis, they can’t articulate what they actually need. Whether it’s a question about a wedding venue or a tearful call about a marital crisis, an inquiry about the church nursery or an “I-don’t-know-where-else-to-turn” revelation of a diagnosis, the front desk team needs the empathetic skills to figure out the best path forward on behalf of the guest, and help them to get there.
5. Care for your vendors.
A few years back, one of the front desk staff at our central office had the brilliant idea of buying a mini fridge and stocking it with bottled water for our postman and delivery people. Fast forward to today, and everybody from Amazon to FedEx to Staples knows that they’re going to be offered a drink and a snack every time they walk through our doors. I’ll often see a newer driver walking out of our offices, cracking the cap on a water bottle and tearing into a granola bar, with a grin on their face like they just won the lottery. This is an incredibly inexpensive way to care for those who serve, and it gives us the opportunity to build relationships.
The front door of your church matters. But so does the front desk. What are you doing to build a hospitable culture Monday through Friday?
