It's Goofy, But It's About the Customer!

What Can We Learn From Goofy? (Plenty!)

After a week at Disneyland there is much to learn about creating "remarkable experiences."

This was my first visit to Disneyland in many years, and I had never stayed in the Paradise Pier Hotel (one of the Disney hotels).

Wow---smiles on everyone's faces, warm greetings even came from security people! Everyone was working to make you feel "welcome" --- as a guest.

From security, to entry gate "cast" members, to food service people --  everyone greets you with a smile and goes out of their way to make you feel special. There is a lesson to be learned by all businesses from Disney. It's about the guest experience.

If someone saw that we needed our picture taken, they jumped right in to offer help. If I saw a candy wrapper on the ground one minute, it was gone the next. Every question I had could be answered by anyone I saw working at Disneyland --- no need to call a supervisor. 

As a marketing, communications and customer service expert I was stunned at the consistency by everyone throughout Disneyland. The "cast" members as they care called, are trained perfectly. They know how to communicate, how to listen, and how to respond. 

For many years, Disney used seven key guidelines:

1. Be Happy…make eye contact and smile!
2. Be like Sneezy…greet and welcome each and every guest. Spread the spirit of Hospitality…It’s contagious!
3. Don’t be Bashful…seek out Guest contact.
4. Be like Doc…provide immediate service recovery.
5. Don’t be Grumpy…always display appropriate body language at all times.
6. Be like Sleepy…create DREAMS and preserve the “MAGICAL” Guest experience.
7. Don’t be Dopey…thank each and every Guest!

Today, it is a corporate culture that is demonstrating any business can "stage" consistent remarkable experiences. 

(c) Joseph Barnes, www.Digital3000.net