Customer – Page 5 – Disney Brand Loyalty Keynote Speaker

Do my four world class customer service basics apply everywhere?

Top Disney Conference Keynote Speaker — His Customer Service Keynote speech covered the four world-class service basics.

These questions from a recent audience member prompted my response below:

Is there a difference in the customer approach between a consumer oriented organisation (like Disney) vs a corporate relation (like IBM dealing with clients), i.e do you believe that the four world class basics you present apply the same way?

And, is there a place for emotions in the type of environment where we are? How can we leverage emotions in our customer relations?

My reply:

There is no difference. Why would there be? People serve people. The product is literally irrelevant in the equation. Who cares about a great product if the employees are rude and unhelpful? No one.

Disney is a massive, global, 160,000+- employee enterprise. We have divisions (and people) who do similar things like what you do. No one at Disney says, “These things only apply to The Theme Parks.”

The other way to understand this is that the four principles work for employees serving other employees (never seeing the paying customer), as well as Leaders serving employees. There is no difference.

Emotion trumps everything. What makes us (you, me, our colleagues) loyal to a product or service is the emotional connection? We will drive farther and spend more for something we can get closer and cheaper. Yet we invest more time and/or money for the same thing. Why? Because we believe someone treats us better. We like that, and will pay a premium. Trust wins at the end of the day. Emotions and trust are inseparable.

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Poor customer service is rare these days

Hotel ironing board with inspiring thoughts — The ironing board was a delightful “wow” moment.

Do we have the courage to act on limited knowledge and insufficient evidence?

That’s what speaking up against status quo requires. That, or ignorance.

Twice yesterday i was quietly stunned by two incredibly weird customer service experiences.

The Dollar Rent A Car representative at Chicago Midway told me i needed to fill up the gas tank within 10 miles of the airport and if i didn’t have a receipt as proof, i would be charged $10/gallon.

The Best Western Valparaiso front desk clerk asked for my credit card for incidentals. When i shared that i would not be making any charges, he revealed that it was really to cover themselves against any damages the guest might create.

It would seem both of them lied.

That is so weird to think that some companies have a culture ~~encouraging this~~ allowing this to happen.

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Delta Dawn?

Amazing Delta Flight Attendants. — jeff, Sue, Stephanie

Amazing Delta Flight crew. — The “gang”.

From the Delta Flight attendant’s perspective, Stephanie made a “seemingly insignificant” comment to me as we were boarding and taking our seats.

That one sincere comment enhanced the entire day.

Later, Sue brought a “pilot’s Wings” pin for Jack the Teddy Bear, which he wore while we watched McFarland.

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Bait and switch?

New balance Running shoes — The product numbers don’t match,

Bait and switch?

Another pair of New Balance 1080SB5’s arrived yesterday – a Sunday. Opened the correctly labeled box to confirm accuracy. Inside, however, was a pair of women’s running shoes.

Started to smell hassle factor. What to do?

Clicked the delivery notice email link and in about two minutes, had everything needed to:

Have the replacement shoes arrive in just two days.
Have the return package re-sealed and sitting on the porch for UPS pickup today.

No return sticker was required. Plus, the existing packaging had a subtle yet convenient pre-made sealer for returns. An email containing a one-sheeter with tracking number to go inside the package.

Totally impressed.

It was a nice wow.

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The real enemy to having an inspiring leadership culture

Fact: Consistency is the hallmark of world class customer service.

Insight: When an organizational culture doesn’t insist on paying attention to every detail, then employees and leaders will default to using their personal interpretation of what’s critical.

This is deadly to world class consistency.

Disney’s legendary attention to detail is driven by intentionally developing inspiring leaders. Here’s an example from yesterday, Valentine’s Day 2015.

Disney Customer Service (obviously Disney never uses the word Customer but i’m using it here to focus on external business world everyday language). Follow along with some Disney insider narration.

There’s a section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park that includes a replica of a traveling roadside carnival in small town America from a time long ago…

The traveling carnival would set up in small towns where there was ample space for their carnival rides. It was often in a large, relatively unused parking lot. Notice the faint parking space lines? See the cracked pavement? Who makes the connection? Probably no one. So why do it?

It’s not uncommon for painted white tires to become a homemade curb marker. Tires are used because they’re no longer safe to drive on. They are rubber which is long-lasting. However, these are made of concrete because ~~Guests~~ Customers will use them as seats (see Guest Customer on far right?). By the way, constant sitting on these tires would eventually wear them down and make them unsafe.

~~Guests~~ People walk by all day (~~Guest~~ Customer on right, shadow on left) and never notice nor care.

Notice the difference in tread? Never before right? But now you see that attention to detail very clearly. Why do that?

Only one of ten tires has it’s logo (GOOD~YEAR) showing.

Just a bunch of random, worn out, abandoned tires being repurposed to save money. Just like in real life.

Many organizations won’t pay attention to customer experience details because most customers will never notice many of the things being done for them. The logic, of course, is that if the customer won’t notice, don’t waste time and money.

Profit is the goal. (Or is profit the reward?) Depends on the leader’s vision.

Fear (of not meeting financial goals) is the enemy, not failure.

Failure is not permanent. Fear insidiously lasts a lifetime.

Quiz time: Are you an inspiring leader or an insidiously fearful leader?

The harsh reality is this: No one on your team will be more inspired than you. Without inspiration a so-called ‘leader’ is simply a manager.

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