Be Our Guest (Part 3)
Let me give you one last series of thoughts from my trip to Disney World. While I was at Disney World, I was able to find a copy of the “Walt Disney World Guidelines for Guest Service”. While I won’t share all of their guidelines, I thought it would give you a brief summary of three of their priorities along with some of my comments.
Greet and Welcome Each and Every Guest
The Disney “cast members” are excited about guests being in their presence. They go out of their way to say, “Good morning!”, “Welcome!”, and “May I help you?” to each and every guest.
Application for Southside: We should go out of our way to make our guests feel like we’re glad they’re here. This means greeting anyone we don’t know with a big smile and saying “Welcome to Southside!” a lot.
Seek Out Guest Contact
The Disney team views it as their responsibility to be “aggressively friendly”. They listen to guest’s needs, answer any and all questions, and offer assistance when needed.
Application for Southside: We shouldn’t expect guests to seek us out, but we should seek guests out. And once we meet them, we need to do everything in our power to make their Sunday with us an enjoyable one.
Display Appropriate Body Language at All Times
The people who work at Disney World understand that good posture, attentive appearance, and appropriate facial expressions are important in making a great impression on the people they come in contact with.
Application for Southside: We should look like we are glad to be at church. This means, lots of smiling, brushing your teeth before you come to church, and letting others see that you genuinely enjoy being in God’s house for worship.