How “Chick-fil-A Thinking” Will Improve Your Church
It’s amazing what companies all around the world do to enhance their positions with their customer bases. Each company views their mission as important enough to make what and how they do business high priority.
National and international companies like Chick-fil-A are constantly examining their relationships with their customers and how those customers feel about their experience AS customers. Smart and savvy leaders are willing to ask questions all the time; questions that frequently strike at what has always been done with the thoughts of what could be done.
What’s the Question?
So here’s the question for every church in the U.S. and around the world. While some churches sometimes operate with the theme song of “I Shall Not Be Moved”, can the church really be the definition of change? It should be and needs to be.
I went to Chick-fil-A a couple of weeks ago. I went to the restroom and saw something fascinating … and simple all at the same time. Additionally, I went to wash my hands and saw a little 5×7 sticker in the bottom left corner of the mirror. It said to the effect “If you feel this restroom needs attention to meet our highest standard of cleanliness please text this number XXXXX.”
Wow. There’s not a lot of rocket science there … but it’s brilliant. Let me tell you what happened (my guess) in the leadership room of that great restaurant chain.
About a half dozen execs/leaders sat around a “think table” and asked themselves how their restaurants could be better. Along the way somebody asked how the restrooms could be kept cleaner faster. Someone said when they tell customers to report anything that looks subpar, almost no customers are willing to do that. “What can we do about this?” After some brainstorming somebody asked if there would be a way for people to report problems without having to go face to face with an employee.
“Hey, what if we give them an option to TEXT that something’s less than it should be?” Bingo. The restrooms at Chick-fil-A are now cleaner quicker because of the ability of the current customers to make observations that can benefit the experience of the next customers. How? Through the anonymity of text. Rocket science? Nope. Brilliant? Yes!
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So what about your church? What about everything you do? What do you do to examine everything from the restrooms to the parking lot to the nurseries to the auditorium experience?
I would suggest if you would regularly take time for your leaders to give a critical eye … to think about everything your church does you will systematically watch your church get better and better and better.
Why would you do this? While all these companies that are regularly and systematically dissecting everything they do find ways to do things better, shouldn’t we? Compare their mission to that of the Church. Not even close. Your mission merits you examining everything you do in order to change it to make it better.
God has afforded church leaders with great minds, the ability to think. When you think and combine it with the power and impact of prayer you will see the Lord do amazing things in your midst.
Do the Chick-fil-A thing. Get better today, tomorrow and forever. Your mission deserves it!
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