Say Yes to the Guest was presented at the Christian Camp and Conference Association Great Lakes Regional Conference on March 4, 2013.
One week without no.
A little over a week ago I committed to say nothing but yes for two weeks. Yes to every inquiry. Yes to every need. Yes to my kids and my wife. Yes when it didn’t make sense. It has been amazing.
The difference between partners and patrons
Recently, I realized with even more clarity that these church leaders and churches are not our patrons, they are our partners. I have always said it in our Friday night leaders’ meetings, that it would be a boring weekend without them and their students, and it really is true.
The power didn’t go out but the electricity did
Yesterday at 12:57pm the power went out. On an ordinary day, it might be an occasion to slow down, choose a board game and relax. But this was not that kind of day. Within the next 5 to 8 hours, we were expecting over 1000 guests and about 100 staff to join us for our largest Winter Teen Retreat weekend in years.
How to say no without saying no
Regardless of the method, our goal is still to always say yes. To find a way to exceed expectations and serve customers, guests, and coworkers, in a way consistent with our mission, vision and values.