Before anyone thinks I’m about to slam Walmart greeters, I’m not. I go to the Walmart by my house almost three times a day (it seems) and know most of the greeters there by name. I think they are great people and do a fine job. Here’s what I’ve noticed though and what church greeters need to be on guard against.

At Walmart you might have hundreds, if not thousands of people walk through the door each day. Here’s what stood out to me yesterday. With all of the people coming in and out it’s really easy to start to go through the motions. Saying "Welcome to Walmart" and "Thank you for shopping at Walmart" over and over can become very monotonous for anyone. There was no real interaction with anyone. It was just saying the same thing over and over and over. What if the greeters took a few minutes each day and actually got to know some of the people they see coming in on regular basis? Just asked their name and began to use it whenever they see them. Or even simply acknowledge them in a friendly and humorous way?

Little things like that can go a long way and can take the experience of your first time guest or visitor from average and ordinary to remarkable.

Whether you’re a greeter at your church or not ask yourself this question: Am I doing the little things that make a BIG difference or just going through the motions?