Feedback: Stay safe without alienating temple patrons
It is unfortunate that limits in actually going to the temple make what is otherwise a wonderful experience often frustrating. For example, one day I was turned away from the name printing area and had to go home and reschedule so I could bring my printed name. Yes, I was supposed to remember, but sadly they would not make an exception for me one time.
My parents and I have seen ordinance workers sour a lot of our experiences by not being a little more flexible. For example, even if they have spots open they often wont let you do more than 5 baptisms (though sometimes they might). The exception has been sealings where in my area usually they do let you keep doing more and go to more sessions if they need you.
The system wont let you schedule more than one instance of an ordinance at a time so even if slots are actually open at your temple you cannot go schedule to go to more than one endowment in a day. Lets say you have to travel more than an hour to your temple or you had to take the day off to make it, and there would be slots open but you cannot do 2 because the system does not allow such scheduling.
Then when it comes to initiatories you will often sit there in the waiting room with 3+ workers sitting there too, and have to wait 15+ minutes for them to actually let you all get going because the ordinance worker who coordinates the initiatory booths is preoccupied with their job more than caring about the people there to do the work. They might be waiting for the specific ordinance worker they want to arrive from another station before letting anyone get started for example. It is very inefficient at times. My parents were only able to do two in one of their appointments where you normally get to do 5. The ordinances worker started their appointment so late that even only doing two they still missed their next appointment (for an endowment session).
Then often the next day at church there are no mask requirements, everyone is not socially distancing, and activities are back to normal. It is overdone at the temple and perhaps underdone at church. Not enough care is taken to ensure good patron experiences, and too much care is taken to limit experiences.
Thank you to the ordinance workers who are understanding and patron-focused. I also acknowledge people in the temple have the best of intentions, but think there is a systematic problem that is currently causing above-necessary levels of frustration, and could be handled better.
Answers
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One thing that was nice about the difficulties surrounding temples during the pandemic restrictions is that some would let you go in and do sealings without an appointment because they often needed another male or female to have enough people in the session to be able to do the types of ordinances that needed to get done. Or they might let you enter early to go to the celestial room. Unfortunately it seems some temples have gotten more strict even about this. I have given up trying for the past month. My parents have run into a lot of problems where the temple they go to won’t let them in until shortly before a scheduled appointment so they’re not typically allowed to go in let’s say an hour and a half early to do some sealings before their appointment even though the sealing workers would be happy to have them. The workers at the temple entrance are like a police barricade in a way. I can understand that ordnance workers are just doing their best to keep rules but I think that it’s far too rule centric and not patron centric. Many times they make you feel inferior or not valued by the way they tell you or insist that you can’t be there and you can’t enter early.
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Now my parents tell me a temple president called them and told them to stop trying to attend the temple for any ordinances they do not already have in the system. Maybe he is trying to do his job and keep everyone compliant, but it is off putting and unnecessary. They only ever have a few people around, it appears they are far from reaching even their limited capacity, and even when the sealers need help or peope didn't show up for their appointments they still are giving them a hard time. Even a month or two ago they were more friendly than they are now. I have heard people in church comment they wont go to the temple at all till things go back to normal and I am just glad that the treatment my parents have received haven't made them entirely give up yet as it has for many people.
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The appointment scheduling process is here to stay. It isn't going away. In order to attend any ordinance in the temple, each person needs to have an appointment for each ordinance. The appointments are tied to the member's recommend. Your parents can schedule an appointment for both of them from each person's account. So on one day, they could do 2 endowment sessions, 2 initiatory sessions, and 2 sealing sessions. And if baptisms/confirmations are available, they could schedule 2 sessions there as well. Then they can go home and schedule the same thing again for the next day if appointments are available.
Appointments are currently limited due to the virus restrictions that are in place. When these restrictions ease, patrons will be able to make more appointments and temples will also be able to accommodate more patrons per session (as long as they have enough temple workers).
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@Amy Archibald thanks! I checked with them to remind them each of the can make appointments. They said they tried, but couldn’t get it to work. I’m guessing it is because if you use more than one account on the same device your internet cache/cookies remember and display your appointments from the account you were previously logged in to. At least that’s the problem I had a couple months ago. I work around it by deleting the browser files between logging out and back in. It is over their heads and because my mom asks my dad to do it for her they’re probably using the same device for both.
I was able to log into my mom’s account and make a couple additional appointments for them though and I will continue trying to help them.
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Michael
It's 'Brett'.
'Bring on' ... Phase 4 ... Pre.COVID-19 ... to ALL "Temples" ... around the World ...
And, hopefully, DISPENSE with, the NEED, for "Appointments" ...
[ Well, GENERAL (ie. Everyday) "Appointments" that is, not SPECIAL "Appointments" ... ]
Brett
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The temple appointment software is here to stay. Once we reach phase 4, patrons will be able to make more than one appointment per ordinance. Appointments will still be required for temple attendance.
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Personally I have a pet peeve when it comes to crossing the country border if you’ve ever done that you understand that they question you and make you feel like you have no right to be crossing the border. I don’t know why it bothers me but for some reason it really irritates me when someone questions me. I also don’t like being pulled over by cops while sometimes I don’t mind it other times it really frustrates me if they question what I’m doing. And now I’m feeling that more often at the temple. One simple example is when I went to the baptistery and the ordinance worker didn’t even believe me when I told him I had an appointment and that I had made it that morning. That was because he didn’t see in his printed out list and it was only after they scan my recommend and saw that I had an appointment in the system that he basically acknowledge that I actually did have an appointment. I don’t like being questioned. I’m confident and I’m an adult. I’ve been around Temple‘s for a long time and I know what I’m doing. Maybe in a way I have a humility problem but it just is very unpleasant for me to be questioned when I want to just go to the temple and have an experience like I used to where the ordinance workers are there to help you have a good time instead of there to question you and enforce rules.
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Amy
It's 'Brett'.
As far as I was aware ...
And, I stand corrected, if I am wrong ...
The ability, to make BOTH, Telephone/E-mail; and/or, 'On-Line', "Appointments", for a Visit, to a "Temple", existed, well BEFORE, "COVID-19".
[ And, the subsequent Worldwide Pandemic ... ]
It was just, that apart for 'Living' "Ordinances", we DID NOT, have to make "Appointments", for a Visit, to the "Temple"; UNLESS, we so desired (due to Travelling LONG Distances) or needed to do so, for special occasions (eg. for, SPECAIL Family "Group" Work; or, Ward/Branch/Stake/District/Mission "Group" Activities; or, the like).
"Enforcing" (or, I should say, "Maintaining"), the "Requirement", to make an "Appointment", to Visit, a "Temple", after the Worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic, has abated; when, ALL "Temples", around the World, are operating under, "Phase 4" conditions (ie. Pre.COVID-19), WOULD, be "Very" DISAPPOINTING, indeed.
I can understand, the possible need, for the "Temples", in Utah; and, the LARGER "Temples" in the rest of "North America", maintaining a "Booking"/"Appointment", to a certain degree - for a SHORT while after the Pandemic.
But ...
That Said ...
Such, should NOT, be required, after the Worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic, has abated.
Regardless ...
I humbly suggest, that ...
IF, "Spaces" (and, "Workers") are AVAILABLE, at any given time, at a "Temple"; THEN, the "Workers" at a "Temple", SHOULD make EVERY effort possible, to accommodate EXTRA "Ad-Hoc" requests, availability permitting (and, subject to "Approval", by the "Temple Recorder", if necessary); and, NOT be TOTALLY "Schedule" DRIVEN.
I have visited a number of "Temples" around the World ...
And, that includes those in Utah and North America; plus, OTHER Countries, including my own.
Plus, as a "Temple" Worker, in my Local "Temple", I know that we have gone out of our way (as, I have been involved in such), to accommodate EXTRA "Ad-Hoc" requests, availability permitting; and, quick approval obtained - inflexibility was NOT an issue.
IF, an EFFORT is MADE, to Visit a Temple; THEN, ...
The "Temple" EXPERIENCE, should NOT, be OVERSHADOWED, by Appointments/Books/Schedules ...
[ And, the INFEXIBILITY of "Workers", that are "Schedule" DRIVEN ... ]
[ Often, we need to operate, 'outside of the box', provided there is room ... ]
I am well aware, that availability, is contingent upon the availability of "Workers" (Especially, with regards to an unforeseen LACK of "Workers", for whatever reason); but, usually, there are often, sufficient Patrons, who are visiting, who are "Workers" themselves, that can 'fill the breach', if needs be - not always; but, on many occasions.
So ...
That Said ...
I reiterate ...
'Bring on' ... Phase 4 ... Pre.COVID-19 ... to ALL "Temples" ... around the World ...
And, hopefully, DISPENSE with, the NEED, for [ General ] "Appointments" ...
[ Well, GENERAL (ie. Everyday) "Appointments" that is, not SPECIAL "Appointments" ... ]
Brett
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