Ten Ways to Increase You Bus Attendance and Get New Riders
1.
Visit your route backwards. No, don't put your car in reverse or walk backwards! Visit your last stop that you normally visit first and your first stop last. You will be surprised (if you have regular visitation habits) how the people will react. You may also meet people that you don't normally see because you always miss them.
Visit your route backwards. No, don't put your car in reverse or walk backwards! Visit your last stop that you normally visit first and your first stop last. You will be surprised (if you have regular visitation habits) how the people will react. You may also meet people that you don't normally see because you always miss them.2.Visit your route on a different day. I especially like to do this during the summer time. Visit on Friday in the evening. You will meet new families that you never see. You can concentrate on only new riders on Friday and regulars on Saturday.
Visit your route on a different day. I especially like to do this during the summer time. Visit on Friday in the evening. You will meet new families that you never see. You can concentrate on only new riders on Friday and regulars on Saturday.3. Visit your route at a different time. Instead of going in the morning (if that is when you normally go) try going later in the day, say about 2:00 pm. You will run into people you don't normally see because you are visiting later in the day.
4.If you are somewhat limited in the time that you can visit (maybe you have to work on Saturday, visit only those that have slacked off, and spend the rest of the time looking for new riders.
If you are somewhat limited in the time that you can visit (maybe you have to work on Saturday, visit only those that have slacked off, and spend the rest of the time looking for new riders.5.Call every family that you don't see on Saturday. I use an on-line service called Callingpost.com. I have all of my route on the system and can call those that I don't personally see. I always leave a flyer or a note, but still call on Saturday night if I don't see them.
Call every family that you don't see on Saturday. I use an on-line service called Callingpost.com. I have all of my route on the system and can call those that I don't personally see. I always leave a flyer or a note, but still call on Saturday night if I don't see them.6.Keep a list of homes for sale, or empty apartments on your route. The route I was on for many years was less that a square mile. I got more new riders by doing this than anything else. I could tell be being in the apartment complexes a lot, which ones had become vacant. (Curtains were down, no furniture on porch, each complex was different.) Also, if someone that rode the bus moved out, I made a note of that. I would check them as I visited, and if I found one, I would go up to the door and saying something like, "I noticed that you just moved in, and would like for you to ride the bus to church." They would be surprised and happy that someone would welcome them to the new neighborhood. I would also get the families in the complex to watch for new folks. I called them my 007 spies, and they would let me know who moved in and how many kids. I would try to get the kids to meet them also, and then I would take the kids (with the parents permission) up with me to the new people's apartment. This works great.
Keep a list of homes for sale, or empty apartments on your route. The route I was on for many years was less that a square mile. I got more new riders by doing this than anything else. I could tell be being in the apartment complexes a lot, which ones had become vacant. (Curtains were down, no furniture on porch, each complex was different.) Also, if someone that rode the bus moved out, I made a note of that. I would check them as I visited, and if I found one, I would go up to the door and saying something like, "I noticed that you just moved in, and would like for you to ride the bus to church." They would be surprised and happy that someone would welcome them to the new neighborhood. I would also get the families in the complex to watch for new folks. I called them my 007 spies, and they would let me know who moved in and how many kids. I would try to get the kids to meet them also, and then I would take the kids (with the parents permission) up with me to the new people's apartment. This works great.7. Ask you regulars to look for new riders. I get more visitors now this way. Most of my riders were brought or introduced to me by someone already on my route. I always give away a special prize for the person that brings the visitor and the visitor also. So my kids are always working. Right now I am giving away Giant Pixie Stix. The kids love them, and I get them at the wholesale warehouse club at 50 for about $9.00.
Ask you regulars to look for new riders. I get more visitors now this way. Most of my riders were brought or introduced to me by someone already on my route. I always give away a special prize for the person that brings the visitor and the visitor also. So my kids are always working. Right now I am giving away Giant Pixie Stix. The kids love them, and I get them at the wholesale warehouse club at 50 for about $9.00.8.Stop at yard sales on your route. I would usually stop anyway, but then I would notice kids at the houses, so I would strike up a conversation and say that I was out visiting for my bus route, getting kids to ride, and would like for their kids. Usually they would have seen the bus and I would ask them if they had seen it go by their house. This is just an open door I have used many times to get new riders and get the ability to meet new people.
Stop at yard sales on your route. I would usually stop anyway, but then I would notice kids at the houses, so I would strike up a conversation and say that I was out visiting for my bus route, getting kids to ride, and would like for their kids. Usually they would have seen the bus and I would ask them if they had seen it go by their house. This is just an open door I have used many times to get new riders and get the ability to meet new people.9.A great way to find out where a lot of children live is to follow the school bus! This is a great way, especially if you are starting a route in a new area, and you want to know where a good number of kids live. If you are off work in the afternoon, just spend some time noticing where school buses go, and follow them and take notes on where the kids get off the bus and how many. Concentrate your visitation in these areas to produce good results. Sometimes after getting established on a route for a while, I would go out to an apartment complex on Friday afternoon and wait for the bus to get there. In our state, the buses cannot go into the complex; they let the kids out at the curb. There would be some parents there that I would know that were waiting on their children. I would wait with them, and talk with the parents for a while. I would ask the parents if it would be all right if I talk to the kids when the get off the bus. When the kids would get off, they would introduce me to their friends. Of course, the new kids would be comfortable with me being there because the other parents were there also. Sometimes the parents of the regular riders would introduce me to the other parents and say "you need to let your kids ride the bus to Bro. Marty's church." Wow, this would always be a great opportunity.
A great way to find out where a lot of children live is to follow the school bus! This is a great way, especially if you are starting a route in a new area, and you want to know where a good number of kids live. If you are off work in the afternoon, just spend some time noticing where school buses go, and follow them and take notes on where the kids get off the bus and how many. Concentrate your visitation in these areas to produce good results. Sometimes after getting established on a route for a while, I would go out to an apartment complex on Friday afternoon and wait for the bus to get there. In our state, the buses cannot go into the complex; they let the kids out at the curb. There would be some parents there that I would know that were waiting on their children. I would wait with them, and talk with the parents for a while. I would ask the parents if it would be all right if I talk to the kids when the get off the bus. When the kids would get off, they would introduce me to their friends. Of course, the new kids would be comfortable with me being there because the other parents were there also. Sometimes the parents of the regular riders would introduce me to the other parents and say "you need to let your kids ride the bus to Bro. Marty's church." Wow, this would always be a great opportunity.10. Pray that God will open doors for you and give you new riders and to reach new families. All of the work and ideas will come to nothing without the power of prayer.
