Customer Service the Disney Way I just returned from the Happiest Place on Earth in a foul mood. I'm not mad at Disneyland. As always they did everything right, providing an exceptionally magical experience for my family. I'm angry at other customer-facing merchants and businesses who fail to do the simplest things to improve customer satisfaction. You must understand that as a communications specialist, I experience Disneyland and the Walt Disney Parks very differently than the average guest. I look for special touches that make customers feel appreciated. I listen to the conversations between staff and guests. I appreciate the high level of customer experience training that Disney provides its employees. Over the past several years, I have had several conversations with leaders at Disney and the Disney Institute. Here are three things that are done every day at Disney Parks do to improve communications and the customer service experience. Be show ready. While most Disneyland guests look up at the rides, I look down at the ground. Disneyland is notable for what you don't see-wrappers, gum, or spilled popcorn. I'm always amazed that thousands of people can walk down Disneyland's Main Street and yet it remains spotless. Custodians clean the streets at night so it's "show ready" the next morning. During the day custodians are also hard at work, constantly cleaning, sweeping and picking up. Managers and employees are also trained to make neatness everybody's business. There's a restaurant near my office with very good food and friendly employees. But the restaurant is not "show ready." In fact they let their employees smoke outside the building just steps from the kitchen. That area of the parking lot has cigarette butts on the ground and sometimes empty, discarded cigarette packages. I don't eat there. It's simply not appealing. I've heard the owner complain about the economy. I feel like telling him, It's not the economy. It's you. You simply don't care about appearances. Make every customer feel important. Disney employees are trained to be "Assertively Friendly." Disney team members are encouraged to actively seek contact with guests. For example, they will approach an individual who appears confused instead of waiting to be asked for directions. Birthday Girl at Disney When I was at Disneyland with my wife and two girls, an employee noticed we were trying to figure out who would take the picture. "I'd be glad to take the picture for you," he said. That's assertively friendly. Disney also hands out badges to people who are there are on their first visit or on their birthdays. Their first names are on the badges and employees are trained to address the customer by name. Just to see if it worked, I watched as one woman with a birthday badge ordered a hamburger. Sure enough, just as she approached the window, a friendly employee said, "Happy birthday Diana! What would you like?" That's assertively friendly. Provide communications training. Every team member at Disney Parks is trained to be an effective communicator. For example, everything at Disney runs right on time-rides, shows, and trains. If the train is a second late leaving the station, the conductor gets on the speaker and explains exactly why the train is delayed and how long it will be until it gets going. The staff is also trained to answer common questions, even if it's "not their job." One Disneyland employee I talked to even knew the times of a show at another end of the park and how long the show would last. Most employees at other businesses are not trained to communicate. On the day I was writing this article, I walked into two local establishments and the cashiers knew nothing about some common items in the store. They're not trained to know. Disney Train Depot They are trained to take your money and that's it-the exact opposite of the Disney customer service experience. The next time you complain about how difficult it is to do business in this challenging economy, take a second look at the way you are doing business. Are you offering a Disney quality experience for your customers? Perhaps we should call it the "Disney wow" because that's what the Disney organization seeks to do in creating outstanding customer service. DISCUSS: When Walt Disney created the Disney Empire in the 1950s, he forbid its star characters such as Mickey Mouse and Pluto to talk. Mr. Disney thought it would be too difficult to control the service encounters between customers and Disney characters, and it would ruin the 'magic' of Disney. Therefore, Disney characters were trained to gesture and use only their body language to interact and entertain guests. Today, Disney is experimenting with talking characters. What are some advantages and disadvantages of talking Disney characters from a service design perspective? (summarize your write-up not less than 1,000 words)