At the end of every shift, the front desk agents have their cashier sheets signed by a leader. I remember my trainer mentioning that many of us do not fill in the section regarding a description of at least a magical moment from the day (even though we may have some), and the leaders do not usually question it. However, one of my leaders paused before signing the sheet to ask me about mine, and one definitely stood out.
A recent magical moment happened over the weekend when I checked in a family with two kids in the lanes (campsite check ins). I saw in the comments section that one of their daughters was going to be celebrating her 3rd birthday during their stay. Through the conversation with the mom (who used to be a CP herself), I found out her daughter Alexandra loves to refer to herself as “Alexandra Big Kid.” We give out buttons (oh how Disney loves their buttons!), and a card with a message from Mickey along with a photopass card. I asked if she preferred a nickname, and her mother said “well, she likes to walk around saying Alexandra Big Kid,” so I went ahead and made two buttons—one with “Alexandra”, and the other “Big Kid. ” The family had a good laugh about it, and so did I. When I gave Alexandra, she was smiling ear to ear, and gave me a heartfelt thank you.
Disney, undoubtedly, gets it right when it comes to guest service, and achieves this by connecting with kids. I truly enjoy these moments with them, and the adults who revert to being kids when they are at Disney!
I think for a long time I viewed magical moments as having to be big productions, but it does not have to be. We know we get it right when we see the smiles, hear the laughter, and receive the thank you’s. These moments set the tone for guests’ vacations, and reminds us why we do what we do.
Suzanne
Front Desk Cashier
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
You wrote a charming story. In addition to the Magical Moment, what I find imporant about the post is the information you shared about standards. Including a reflection of Magical Moments is powerful, think about how you can use this standard when you yourself are a manager.