“If Disney Ran Your Business What Would It Look Like? During my keynotes and strategic work sessions with teams and businesses, I usually have the audience and participants ponder that question for their business. Most first think about their own experiences while visiting Disney’s Parks and Resorts, or what they have heard about the Disney Experience from others.
The participants usually talk about Disney’s qualities and what they are known for such as quality, attention to details, cleanliness, friendly, helpful and engaging staff, efficiency, creating memories, exceeding the expectations and more. All of which reminds them about the power, and necessity of creating a “complete experience” for their customers. But shouldn’t all businesses incorporate these Disney traits in their business too?
I was recently in Florida to conduct strategic work sessions at a Auto Service Parts and Repair Association, with owners and managers of their shops and stores, throughout the country in attendance. Now, you might not think auto service centers and parts stores have much in common with the Magic Kingdom, but customers getting their car repaired or buying auto parts, seek a certain experience, when they take time out to get their car serviced.
In fact, customers of most retail and service businesses subconsciously want more than just a good product at a good price. They relate to the total experience of dealing with a company. From the minute they walk in the door, they respond to the decor, employees’ appearance and attitudes, cleanliness, engagement, and a whole host of other small details.
Disney, perhaps better than any other company, understands this. While I was managing their top luxury resorts at Walt Disney World, we created a “whole new world” (to use a phrase from Aladdin) for our resort guests (never called “customers”). That world needed to be seamless. My team carefully planned every little thing to reinforce the complete “Disney Experience” of that particular resort hotel.
My team of cast members put on a show for their guests. It doesn’t matter if their assigned role is bellmen, housekeeper, security guard, restaurant hostess, life guard, front desk clerk or grounds keeper, they were all trained and expected to remember that they’re always “on stage”. Everything needed to be seamless. Walt Disney’s goal was to create “The Happiest Place on Earth,” and nothing is allowed to jolt a guest out of that atmosphere.
In my presentations, I show how Disney can teach all businesses about the importance of creating a complete experience for their clients and customers. All recognize that little details, and people, as well as the product or service itself, make a great impact on the customer’s perception of your business. A complete experience goes beyond tangible things, such as how quickly you respond to clients’ phone calls and how often you stay in touch.
Many of my existing clients are catching on. The service area at my car repair shop, for example, is spotless. The reason, the manager told me, is to make customers feel confident that the quality of the work under the hood is as thorough and professional as the quality of the work area.
No matter what kind of business you run or work at, ask yourself and team:
- What “experience” are we trying to give our customers/clients?
- What role does everone play in your customer’s life?
- How does every aspect of your business reinforce or undermine that experience and role?
In other words, if Disney ran your business, how would it be different? But more importantly how would it make your business better or more profitable? Using Disney’s strategies can make your customer experience different than your competition and provide a unique and memorable experience for your customers that they will talk about and refer others. Now that would be Magical!