Dennis Snow’s Service Excellence Blog

This is the second in a series of ten blog posts that provide a brief synopsis of the chapters in my upcoming book, Lessons From the Mouse - A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life. You can view previous posts from the book by clicking on the Lessons From the Mouse category on the left column of this page.

Lesson #2: What Time is the Three O’clock Parade?
Is Not a Stupid Question

Every Disney cast member can tell you about funny questions Disney guests ask. How about “What time is the three o’clock parade?” or “Can we see where Walt Disney is frozen in the castle?” or “When will you be turning off the rain?”

In the face of such seemingly silly questions, the inviolable Disney rule is never to make a guest feel stupid. Guests are out of their comfort zones, the place can be overwhelming, and it’s the cast member’s job to understand and address the question behind the question. For example, when a guest asks, “What time is the three o’clock parade?” cast members know the guest really wants to know, “What time does the three o’clock parade get here?”

And those circumstances when a guest is completely in the wrong, the Disney philosophy is; “The guest may not always be right, but they will always be our guest.” Stated another way, “The guest may not always be right, but let’s allow them to be wrong with dignity.”

Customers are not stupid - it’s just that they may not know what we know. True; they didn’t read the sign, buy the right part, call the right phone number, or give the right specifications. But they’re not stupid. They’re out of their comfort zone - and each of us has made the same mistakes when we’re in an unfamiliar or confusing situation.

If we’re going create or sustain customer loyalty, we have to look at every situation through the eyes of the customer. When we view situations from the customer’s perspective, then and only then can we understand the question behind the question or the issue behind the issue. Then, and only then can preserve the customer’s dignity as well as their loyalty.

Questions to consider about Lesson #2:

1. What are some of the common yet bizarre customer questions or behaviors that sometimes occur in your business?
2. In the circumstances listed in question 1, what is the question behind the question, or the issue behind the issue?
3. How can you be sure that your customers who make a mistake are “wrong with dignity?”

To be released this summer!

Tags: Commentary, Lessons From the Mouse, Tips for Better Customer Service by Dennis Snow
No Comments »

 

Some of you are aware that I’ve been working on a new book, Lessons From the Mouse, based on my 20-years working at Walt Disney World. The book is due to be published this summer and I’m truly excited about it. It covers the ten key lessons I learned as a Disney cast member and helps readers apply those lessons to their own organizations, careers, and lives.

 

With my next ten blog posts, I’d like to share a synopsis of each lesson that Lessons From the Mouse covers. My hope is that you’ll find these brief descriptions to be beneficial – and I also hope these descriptions whet your appetite so that you’ll buy the book when it comes out!

 

Lesson #1: Never Let Backstage Come Onstage 

The concepts of “onstage” and “backstage” are critical to preserving the Disney magic. Imagine a child actually seeing Cinderella smoking a cigarette. Years of therapy might be called for. Or imagine seeing a maintenance truck near the Frontierland train station – it doesn’t really fit the frontier theme, does it? Such disconnects would destroy the illusion that Disney has spent billions to create. As cast members, protecting the magic is a key part of the job.

 

No matter the organization, there is a brand image you want customers to have in mind. And that brand image can quickly be compromised by violating Lesson #1. Clearly distinguishing “onstage” from “backstage,” and keeping the two completely separate, helps to preserve the integrity of your brand. Even a seemingly harmless action like leaving a stockroom door open can create a “visual intrusion” when customers can clearly see all of the stockroom clutter. Or notes and memos about employee policies taped up on the wall in full view of customers. Do customers really need to know that returning late from a break may result in disciplinary action? 

And backstage isn’t just a physical place; it’s also an attitude. We’ve all overheard employees discussing things that have no business being discussed onstage. Customers don’t want to hear employees discussing last night’s keg party or hear employees complaining to each other about their supervisor. Most customers are annoyed when they have to get the attention of an employee whose head is buried in a magazine. Each of these perfectly natural employee behaviors belongs backstage where they don’t interfere with the customer experience.

 

Here are three questions for you to think about as you consider Lesson #1: 

·       What makes up the physical backstage of your organization?

·       What makes up the “attitudinal” backstage of your organization?

·       What magic or illusion should not be compromised at any time during a customer’s experience with your organization?

Tags: Commentary, Lessons From the Mouse, Tips for Better Customer Service by Dennis Snow
1 Comment »