Children Are Your Customer

Recently Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, announced that he is starting a new network of preschools. The preschools will be located in underprivileged areas. Jeff said that he will use the same strategies and core values that have guided the Amazon company. What he went on to say is amazing. He said, "Most important among those will be the genuine, intense costumer obsession. The child will be the costumer." I love that mindset. It says we're going to focus on the needs of the children we are serving. It says it's going to be about the children first and foremost. It says children are worth investing in. Let me ask you. How do you see the children you minister to? If you see children as a customer, you will...

• Make sure you are on time, so you don't keep them waiting.

• See each child as a VIP. Treat them with respect and dignity.

• Be available to meet their needs.

• Personally greet them with a smile.

• See yourself as a host rather than a controller.

• Design your lessons with how they learn best, instead of how you were taught growing up.

• Listen, really listen to them.

• Make each child feel important.

• Let them know you missed them, when they are absent.

• Focus not on what they can give you, but rather what you can give them.

• Thank them for being part of your class.

• Know what they like. What kind of candy? What sport? What video game? What movie? What TV show? What song? What color? What phone? What Bible story? What ice cream?

Often companies will give you a quick survey to see how they are doing. Either by phone or by email. What would your customer, the children you minister to, say if they took a survey of you as a teacher or leader? Look at the list above and focus on improving in some of those areas. Become an expert at providing your "costumer" with a great experience and they will return and bring other people with them. p.s. Also remember - your "competition" for customer service is not other churches, but rather businesses, restaurants, banks and other stores. Parents and kids will be comparing how you treat them in relation to those places. So shine...shine...shine!