Please take a minute to watch this brief YouTube video What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable. by clicking the title.

This humorous video portrays off-putting behaviors I’ve personally observed during many area church visits during the past 12 years. Sadder still is the average visitor decides in 5-8 minutes whether to make a return visit to a church. This video lasts 5 minutes 33 seconds, a similar amount of time.

Starbucks prides itself in providing a great customer experience. Clearly they would not be successful if they treated their customers like many churches treat their guests. There is much to be learned from this brief video.

If you’ve had similar experiences, I’d be happy to share them with blog readers from time to time. Please send your stories, without naming the church, to churchvisits@gmail.com. Humor tends to make a point without wounding. I hope you enjoy the video and look forward to reading and sharing your stories.