If Your Visitors Posted a Blog…

Not long ago, there was a post titled “If Your Volunteers Posted a Blog”. Taking another viewpoint, what if new visitors blogged about your church and their experience? The Blogging Church has a post regarding how to watch for blog postings and engage them in conversation. While I would caution getting too emotionally invested, there are times when we need to know what people are saying that they normally won’t tell you face-to-face. Think about the number of times you have had poor service at a restaurant, but didn’t say anything (and low or no tips don’t count). Not everyone blogs, so sometimes we need to be our own customer. Here are some tips:

1. Pay closer attention as you drive into your church. If you are a staff member, this is critical for you, as you are used to the neighborhood. What works and what doesn’t? Is the signage easy to read? Do you have small signs in a 1 mile radius to guide your guests if they are unfamiliar with the areas?
2. Clean your palette - we are often used to the “taste” of our church, but if you “scrub your palette” once in a while, you may get to experience your church flavor again. What happens when the visitor pulls into the parking lot? Was it easy to find a place? Do they see smiles from the moment they see their first member? Are they welcomed with open arms, or is a program shoved in their face and they are told to hurry in? Are you treating them as kindly when they leave as when they arrive?
3. Bring a friend, asking for them to pay close attention and to give you an honest report afterward. Just be warned - it might hurt, but it may help you in the long run
4. Attend as an audience member by taking a day off, putting someone in charge to handle any issues, and just sit. If you have multiple services, attend one you normally miss to get a different feeling and to break those old habits.
5. Sit next to people you don’t know and get to know them - often, we sit next to those we know and forget that the visitor’s experience during the service

Remember: the visitor experience starts from the mile outside the parking lot as they arrive and completes a mile away from the building as they leave. Everything in between is fair game for them to critique - whether you know it or not.

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