New Guest Experience

We are in the process of ramping up our experience for new guests here at AMP*D. We realize we get 1 shot to make a great first impression on our new peeps and we are constantly evaluating how to make the ENVIRONMENT one they will not forget and also one where they will not be forgotten. I thought I would share with you some of our methods we currently use and will be implementing to treat our new guests like VIP:

1.) When they arrive and our staff identifies them as first time guests, we walk them down the red carpet. Seriously, we roll out red carpet and have a special entrance into the building just for them. They are then checked in, usually earlier than everyone else and are linked up with a staff member to show them around. Also at this point they receive a colored wristband which serves 2 purposes: 1.) Helps our staff and students identify new folk so we can love on them and make them feel incredibly welcome 2.) Gains them access to an area we call the RENDEZVOUS...which brings me to the 2nd method...

2.) After service we invite all new students and the friend that brought them to a VIP lounge we set up called the REDEZVOUS. Here they are greeted by some of our adult leaders and come in to chill with some music videos rolling on a flat screen, snacks, sodas, etc. We then show them a video produced by our students that gives them the low down on our ministry and afterwards we kinda share who we are, why we do what we do, etc. Then each new student is given a free gift (either a t-shirt or a cool drawstring bag with some goodies). Before leaving we make sure we have their correct contact information and we have them fill out a short survey based on their experience with us that night. We are in the process of re-starting huddles post service in addition to life groups that meet in homes throughout the week. The RENDEZVOUS will serve as the "small group" for the new peeps that night and then we will assign them to a regular group for the next week and have a huddle group leader make contact with the new student usually within 2 days.

3.) Follow up: The most important piece. Each new guest on Thursday receives a phone call from us and a text message. We then mail a postcard to them, which by the way I takes it to a new level, since our students are so used to "techno convo" in the forms of texting, e-mail, and other social mediums. On the post card we tell the new student to bring the post card back with them the next week and find the leader with an orange bandana on their head...they approach that leader and the leader in turn blesses them with a gift card of some sort or some other random gift. This become a third point of contact with the new student and hopefully helps in the feeling of being lost in the numbers.

Hope some of this helps, we are definitely looking for new ways to show hospitality to our new students and would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.