Excellent guest service is a highly perishable product. It is extremely delicate and cannot be stored for future use. It is spontaneous. Once given, it is lost, and whatever you did yesterday is gone, because today is a new day with new expectations from your guest that demands good service.

Perpetuating a high level of guest service awareness can be accomplished through a structured themed program and rewarding great acts of service. The guest service programs should be supported with signs, plaques, a motto, and feedback mechanisms. The theme should be a part of weekly staff meetings and become regular part of conversation with all team leaders and their team.

Themed Program Ideas:

• Bull's Eye - Uses the target and arrow concept
• 5:13 - Based on Galatians 5:13 "Serve on another in love"
• 212 - Based on the 212th degree concept
• 2nd Mile - Based on Jesus' command to go an extra mile after you were asked to go 1 mile

Rewarding Exceptional Acts of Service:

• Recognition from leaders is a great motivator, and costs leadership nothing. This is THE most overlooked motivator in most organizations. Teach your leader that they are CEO's—Chief Encouragement Officers!
• Recognition in front of peers is another low cost reward that most staff responds very well to. Applauding great service in front of the team is both motivating for the individual and a learning moment for the team.
• Tangible gifts in the form of a $5-$15 gift card to a local restaurant helps everyone see that you are serious about serving guests in an extraordinary way. These can be given as prizes in a monthly drawing that is entered by those nominated for some specific act of guest service.

The 7 part series we have been covering is Christian Hospitality and how it relates to the Conference/Retreat Ministry.  More than we realize, the effectiveness of off-site ministry is dependent on a thorough understanding of Christian Hospitality and how it affects the individual guest and their openness to God's work.  So far the 6 topics in our series have been:

1. Hospitality (Guest Service) is Biblical
2. Hospitality (Guest Service) is Powerful
3. Hospitality (Guest Service) is Good Business
4. Hospitality (Guest Service) is vital to the Customer Care Cycle
5. Hospitality (Guest Service) is not easily achieved
6. Hospitality (Guest Service) is not easily preserved