Read the article “Customer Loyalty The Disney Way” by Kelley Lawrence and Henry Greene. How does the information presented in the article compare to your experience serving guests?
Add your response as a reply to this post.
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Customer loyalty is very important in any business and company. Walt Disney World, first and foremost refers to their customers as guests and that alone shows significance in how important people mean to the company. While working for the company, I can say that we have “guest first” mentality, meaning we will always try to accommodate and we will never say np, at least not immediately. The company itself is constantly expanding, bringing more and more to the table to offer the guests. From holiday parties to extended hours at the parks to rides and shows and everything in between, guests will never have the same experience twice. At the resort I work at we maintain customer loyalty by keeping the resort clean, being welcoming and greeting the guests with a smile on our face, and approaching them first when it looks like they need help. It is always our priority to ensure guest satisfaction and provide the best service for them and their family as they spend a lot of money and time planning a vacation to Disney. One of the best things we do here at Disney are magical moments, and these differ between roles and locations but the reason why we do it is in the name, it is to create a magical moment for an individual or group of individuals, who may not be having the greatest day or someone who is celebrating and we can make the occasion even better. Some of these moments may include giving out a free treat or experience. Each magical moment is never planned and most of the time it’s rewarding for both the guest and cast member involved.
Quality of customer service and properly trained staff will determine the success of a business. Disney created a foundation for guest and cast members to experience the magic while working or visiting any theme park. They prioritize guest satisfactory and benefits to cast members to ensure everyone needs are met. By Walt setting the standards for his company, cast members can attend to their guest with full attention.
The customer service I provided while working varied because not every work environment focused on making a connection with their guest through experience. Most of their connect through service/products however, I was able to fulfill guest needs or get someone else to assist with their problem.
Whenever I encounter a situation that was out of my control, I would acknowledge the guest feeling and be very open minded to what I can do to resolve it. Something I was to overcome the last four years being a manger was to control my emotions, that helped me understand the customer service is less about me and more about the customer. Working at Disney as a cast member our focus is to create magic moments at any time. Reassure guest that their loyalty to us is important, no matter what area of the park you work in you can create an experience for whoever.
Customer Loyalty is an important aspect of every company. You want Guests to continue to choose your business over someone else’s and to enjoy the services you are offering. At Walt Disney World we take the extra step by calling those who visits guests and not customers and we have the “guest first” mentality. The article is correct in the sense that training plays a large part in how we approach guests but most of us still naturally and truly want to make sure the guests have the best time during their visit as they can.
I make magic over at Pizzafari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a few things we do there to engage with guests and to increase satisfaction and loyalty is to keep the restaurant clean, greet every guest as if they have never been there before and with a smile as well as creating little magical moments for them. Magical moments are mentioned in the article and these unexpected things that boost the guest’s mood or add a little extra magic to their trip. These magical moments can be anything from a free cupcake or upgrade to engaging with the guests or making the little ones feel heard. In my experience, these little gestures can go a long way and mean so much to the guests, it makes them feel seen. At Disney we want the guests to keep coming back and providing them with great service and a friendly ear is how I like to create that good experience for them. Reputation and word of mouth are closely related and if people hear that Disney takes the extra steps to put them forward and actually care about them and their trip they will continue to return.
Disney’s hospitality creates an enchanting atmosphere where accidents turn into magical moments. As someone who interacts with guests throughout my shift, even the smallest details like handing out mini dinosaur plushies or giving out ice creams can make a difference. Just by saying “This one is on Mickey Mouse today”, it doesn’t matter the age or the time of day, everyone walks out with a smile. The research paper indicates that other companies involve characters to entertain young children or elders by creating workshops or friendly interactions. For example, every park you go to has a character meet and greet as a cast member. People of all ages get excited to meet either Mulan or Olaf. Even someone like me gets excited over meeting Winnie the Pooh. There is a character for everyone, and this also extends to merchandise. You can get bags with Mickey’s face or ears with a different theme. Despite the passage of time, there is always something new to enjoy at Disney parks. As I have interacted with guest after guest, I have seen rides and food change, but they always get so excited to try out everything new that comes each year. That’s because everything that evolves at Disney parks targets not only children but also adults. For example, as someone with dietary restrictions, I always get the opportunity to try new vegan dishes in each theme park. They are all very innovative and flavorful. Disney’s approach to hospitality is remarkable. It creates customer loyalty just through the magical moments and the innovation happening either in the parks or even at Disney Springs. All these elements correlate to one big thing, and that is hospitality.
Disney certainly creates a unique experience where other companies lack and do not understand that what is happening here at Disney makes everyone’s visit unique and special not because of the rides or the foods or even the locations it simply because of the interaction that people have with our cast members. We have the unique opportunity to go above and beyond what we are trained for and are allowed to make guests visits much more unique may it be by giving them at Amourette’s we give an extra cookie or if its a child’s birthday we give them a very special phone call from Goofy or Mickey wishing them a happy birthday, at Deluxe Burger every time we make an extra shake or we make a mistake of an order we have a chance to make a magical moment for that customer. Even be just being energetic and engaging in conversation with them while they are waiting in line and trying to get a personal connection with the guest this is highly encouraged and it is something that works very well because people want a personal connection and not just someone counting how many people are getting on the ride. The article does reflect what happens at Disney we are making connections with guests and making their visits feel very special and that is what sets Disney aside from other Parks and Companies I have been to Universal Studios before and going there the experience was very different from Disney I didn’t feel like I was given a personal connection. Disney has made a very big impact in the hospitality industry and took the bar and put it up higher and is something that many parks should start trying to reach for because the most important part of this industry is to understand the guest and make them feel special and welcomed.
As mentioned in my case study response, loyal customers increase revenue. Customer loyalty is essential not just to the hospitality industry but to all industries as it contributes to the success of the business. This is what keeps the doors open and as mentioned in the article it promotes positive word of mouth which will bring new customers.
Disney is great at building and maintaining customer loyalty by making magic. After all it is the most magical place on Earth, and they live up to that. The guests I check in daily as concierge at Caribbean Beach Resort are mainly repeated guests who’s been coming to Disney for years. Most guests have been visiting Walt Disney World since they were kids and for most Disney is where they feel the safest. Safety is Disney’s top priority and comes first in creating happiness.
Last week’s weekly photo journal I mentioned Magical Moments. Magical moments in the park is as mentioned in the article with the example of if a kid ice cream fell a cast member will provide a substitute. In the resorts we inform our FSA that we want to do a magical moment and they give us cash to purchase whatever we want for that specific guest based on the occasion. There are other magical moments like giving toys to kids, sending birthday balloons and card to a room but the magical moment that involves money you have to consult an FSA. We also create magical moment by sending our cast member called Runners to replace a broken or lost toy and anything to create happiness and a magical moment for our guests. Disney does everything in their power to make guest experience magical and I believe every business should care for their customers as Disney cares for their guests.
Customer service plays a significant role for returning guests since cast members are taught to avoid telling a guest no. We want to make sure guests are treated well to the best of our ability since they pay a lot of money to visit Disney. Besides their tickets, they are paying for the food, parking, resorts, and plane tickets. Disney has learned how to keep that customer loyalty by catering to their main audience. They have researched what the guest’s priorities are and how millennials enjoy supporting businesses that donate to charities. Disney understands how they can provide the stage however cast members help make the magic come to life.
As a cast member, I strive to make every guest feel comfortable and listen to their requests. Whenever I am not sure I ask a leader to avoid disappointing a guest. The motto on one of the stickers they gave us was” We solve for yes for every guest” and I have kept it in the back of my mind when helping guests. Guests of all ages stay at the resort I am currently working at, and I make sure whenever it is my station to make sure the area looks presentable. Whenever there are questions about the dining plan I answer every single question with a smile. They can be asked several questions and I answer every single one with every detail they may need. Whenever there were times, I was met with a tricky situation I apologized while producing solutions the guest would prefer to ease the situation. Guests would prefer to remember how they were treated well by the cast members and would come back to a location that has treated them well and were able to enjoy their vacation.
Good customer service definitely attracts returning guest and as we can see Disney is doing a very good job at that. Majority of the guests I check in have been coming to Disney since they kids and the first time visitors leave planning their second visit. We do everything to ensure our guest have a magical time. My favorite thing is always magical moments where I take a trip to the merchandise store to get honeymoon or birthday gift for my guests. Showing guests that you value them creates a bond that will make them return.