Here’s a great exercise… call your church office with a basic question like “what time are your services?” Or better yet, have a have friend do it. Then, sit back and see what happens.

Are you able to reach a live person? If so, is the greeting friendly? Do they know how to transfer a call? Does the person answering the phone know how to handle basic requests? Does the conversation start out on a friendly note but then seem rushed as the call is quickly transferred?

Does the answering machine or voice mail sound OK? Does it give you enough time to leave a message? If you leave a message, how long before someone returns the call?

I often do this exercise with my coaching networks. We take turns calling each others’ church offices and ask basic questions about service times, what to expect or even for a staff persons voice mail. Honestly, the results are usually horrifying!

Take a few minutes this week and have a conversation with your staff about phone standards. Make sure everyone is presenting the positive attitude you expect. I’ll be doing that with our staff, too.

Nelson