It is no longer Customer Experience, it is Customer Delight!
I remember my Walt Disney experience. Vividly. I had a great time when I visited the park on the outskirts of Paris. What made my experience so awesome that I felt sad while leaving, even after spending two days across the park and the studio?!
Here is what I believe they are doing great:
- Create a Spontaneous, yet Personalized experience:
Disney creates a situation where the customer believes that the experience was tailor-made for them. They hand out special goodies, invite kids and parents to surprise tea parties, provide special passes and make the kids and the parents feel really Special!
- Form a strong emotional connect:
The return rate % for Disneyland is high at >70%! There is no doubt that you will have a sigh that the fun has ended for the day, but would have generated so many amazing memories. And yes, those souvenirs will keep reminding you for your next trip to the Magic Kingdom!
- Sell the experience:
Disney doesn’t sell rides. It sells the experience, the magic!
It is what you go through from the moment you walk-in to the moment you exit that Disney is focused on, the Experience. Even when I was doing park-hopping, I was guided for the best experiences in both parks, and yes, the Fastrack tickets were fun to have!
- You must have a great product or service:
Hygiene factors are, well, hygiene! The fairytale settings, cleanliness, great rides, entertainment and friendly staff – these are all great, but become a given very soon. A sound foundation is needed to then deliver superlative experience.
If you do not have a product/service that you can be proud of, there is no experience to talk of!
- Be detail oriented (obsessed!):
Imagine noting that People seldom walk more than 30 steps after finishing a food item! So, to prevent littering and discomfort, trashcans are placed abundantly at every few yards.
Rides are to be consistent – if it is a 7 minutes ride, it has to last seven minutes with consistent speeds in various Zones. Walt Disney himself is said to have tested out this for many rides and taken the engineers and designers along with him!
- It is how you say it!:
Using specialized programs, Disney focuses on posture, gesture, expressions, tone and humor to ensure that the support staff are able to ‘connect’ with the customers. From answering the same question a million times (‘Where can I see the parade?”) to taking care of irate kids (“Look here’s a special badge for you!”), the staff is ensured to provide proactive service
- Team = Company:
A self-sufficient team, a group of incredibly talented individuals, collaboration builtin the day to day tasks so that the team works together in every circumstance. Minimum command and maximum dedication would be the mantra for ensuring the levels of creativity, service and innovation
- Demonstrate Leadership:
Walt Disney would observe how kids took to the new rides and would even accompany them on the rides. He actually practiced quite a lot of ‘Management by walking around’ and ensured his participation and inputs for those incremental changes, everyday.
- Build the company culture around a shared purpose:
A shared purpose unites the employees. The employees are encouraged to put on their best show, everyday.
“We create happiness by providing the finest in family entertainment.”
- Make your processes your strength:
Processes are the backbone behind quality service. From fulfilling unique needs (mobility, physical limitations, phobias) to handling negative events (injuries, wait times, less-than-awesome experiences) processes are continuously scrutinized and optimized for that ‘magic’ moment.
The magic is in performing the small things that matter, consistently and with care!