Customer Service with a
Heart
The Disney Way
Kim Alvarez—Alvin ISD Director of Human Resources
[email protected] 281-388-1130
Getting Started…
You will need to…
Run bookmarks: Run Follow-Up Postcards: Run PowerPoint:
Bu Buy and Read:
Objectives
Today we will learn how to:
Communicate effectively with customers
Create a positive impression
Develop and maintain customer service standards
Plan good customer service
Good vs. Bad Service Skit
Who are Customers?
Definition of a customer:
Internal/external customers
Customers are people who need your assistance. They
are not an interruption to your job, they are the
reason you have a job.
Communicating Effectively
with Customers
Definition:
What describes GOOD service and BAD service?
Good customer service is taking that extra step to help without
being asked! It’s all about attitude and skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqkpP59UgM
Seinfeld Customer Service Example
Why Disney?
THE modern model of customer service
Largest single site employer in the world (55,000)
Lowest employee turnover rate of any major company in hospitality industry
Intriguing, interesting, fun
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=The+Disney+Way+Customer+Service&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=21428F1A464327834C2821428F1A4643278
34C28
The Disney Cast Member Service Quilt by Brynn Showalter
Employee (Cast Member) training begins with a course called “Traditions” which educates the Cast
Members about the company’s history and its legacy of superlative Guest service.
Guests (w/Capital G)
Cast Members (w/Capital C & Capital M)
Onstage/Backstage
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=disney%20customer%20service%20video&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=disney%20customer%20service%20video&sc=1-
29&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=F5CF0EB9B90F20B2B990F5CF0EB9B90F20B2B990
Disney-- Dennis Snow—WOW experience
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the
dream a reality."
-Walt Disney
Magical Moments & Take 5’s
Magical Moments
Family of the day
Animal Kingdom-assistant conductors
Children dance in parade
Take 5’s
Replaced spilled ice cream
Letter from Mickey
Autograph requests
A brand is a promise an organization makes & keeps to its constituents. It
is a reputation, determined by an organization's important audiences, not
the other way around. A brand is always true & important, &, if you're
lucky, distinctive.
Disney’s Success Secrets
1. Legendary attention to detail
2. Exceed people’s expectations
3. Theme, theme, theme
4. Be guest-centered
Be guest-centered
Based on Guestology -the study of what guests like and don’t like
and want and don’t want.
Guests greatest desires:
Make me feel special
Treat me as an individual
Respect me and my children
Be knowledgeable
7 Guest Service Guidelines
Be Happy…make eye contact and smile!
Be like Sneezy…greet and welcome each and every
guest. Spread the spirit of Hospitality…It’s
contagious!
Don’t be Bashful…seek out Guest contact!
Be like Doc…provide immediate Service recovery!
Don’t be Grumpy…always display appropriate body
language at all times!
Be like Sleepy…create DREAMS and preserve the
“MAGICAL” Guest experience!
Don’t be Dopey…thank each and every Guest!
Lessons From The Mouse
Lesson 1: Never Let Backstage Come Onstage
Lesson 2: What time is the 3:00 Parade? It is not a stupid question.
Lesson 3: Little Wows Add Up
Lesson 4: Have Fun with the Job No Matter How Miserable You
Feel
Lesson 5: Don’t be a Customer Service Robot
Lessons From The Mouse
Lesson 6: Pay Attention to the Details—Everything Speaks
Lesson 7: Never Ever Say, “That’s Not My Job”
Lesson 8: Everyone Has a Customer
Lesson 9: Figure Out What Ticks Off Your Customers—and
Do Something About It
Lesson 10: Take Responsibility for Your Own Career
Activity: Pick one or more Lessons from the Mouse and write what you would like to try in your
department/campus. Record answers on poster paper. Pick a speaker.
Attitude Checklist
What attitudes assist in providing good service?
Enjoy helping people
Handle people well
Care for your customers
Give fair and equal treatment to all
Be understanding of people with
special needs
http://uk.ask.com/youtube?q=customer+service+video&v=bTbHwnxCGaI&qsrc
=472
Bad Customer Service—TV show clips
Skills for Customer Service
Know about your organization
Learn the technical parts of the job
Communicate well
Be consistent
Be organized
Know your place in the team and be a team player
Greeting Customers
The purpose is to create and maintain a welcoming
environment - how can we achieve this?
Be attentive, acknowledge a person as soon as they appear, Capturing Kid’s Hearts
even if you’re busy Engage
X-plore
SMILE! Communicate
Empower
Launch
Establish eye contact
Tell them your name
Shake their hand
Ask how you can help
Give the customer your full attention
Be polite and courteous……………
Establishing Rapport
What does good rapport feel like?
Make the customer feel comfortable
Make the customer feel important and valued
Use empathy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf6fToXFzOQ
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=starbucks+customer+service+video&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail
&mid=8053D902835AA10037388053D902835AA1003738
Starbucks Coffee
Turn to your neighbor and
practice greeting someone
Find Out How You Can Help
Turn to your neighbor and discuss the following questions for a minute.
How can you find out what people want?
If you can’t help, what should you do?
Offer alternatives if possible.
If they have to wait, how would you handle it?
The Communication Equation
What you hear
Tone of voice
Vocal clarity 40% of the message
Verbal expressiveness
Active listening = Attending skills (being ready)
Attend to immediate needs (if you need to finish something before giving your full attention)
Being available
Eye contact
Attentive posture
Concentration
What you see or feel
Facial expression
Dress and grooming
Posture/ Body Language
Eye contact
Touch
Gesture 50% of the message
WORDS…….. ONLY 10% of the message!
Reflective Skills
Keeps the door open for further communication
• Paraphrasing
• Reflecting Facts
• Reflecting Feelings
• Reflecting Silence
• Summarizing
• Choosing your Words
• Useful Phrases
Using Your Voice
Think about how you might modify your voice in certain situations and
work with a partner to come up with an example to change the tone of these
sentences…
“Jonathon your coffee is getting cold”;“Sue I need your help.” “Maxine there are three items
missing from this set”.
When you modify your voice do you…
Become loud when angry or upset
Speak faster when nervous
Speak slowly when tired or bored
Have a cheerful voice
My tone of voice is warm and understanding
Find it easy to talk to people you don’t know
Control your tone in most situations
Sound bossy, weak or unsure
Have a clear and easy-to-hear voice
Speak in a very formal or very trendy manner?
Written Communication
Write clearly and concisely
Refer to their letter, date and query
Be friendly without being too informal (Dear Aunt writing style)
Check your spelling and grammar
Make sure you’ve answered their query or request or explained why you can’t
Be timely or apologize for any delay in replying
A Positive Organizational Image
First impressions count and will affect the interaction. People make judgments in the
first 30 seconds.
Golden Rule – You only have one chance to make a first
impression!
Hilarious SWA Flight attendant- In Mid Life Crisis MUST meet Ellen and Jimmy Fallon!!
A Positive First Impression
Be confident
Knowledge - know your organization and the services you
provide
Confidentiality (Ex. FERPA)
Follow up (don’t just say you’ll do something, do it)
Strengthen the customer’s commitment to your organization
Organizational Assessment - Activity
Take a look at your department through the eyes of a customer.
What are the first things you notice?
What has the department or district done to make you feel welcome?
Does anything make you feel uncomfortable?
How could you feel more at ease?
Form small groups and discuss different methods used
to help people feel welcome.Write your ideas on poster
paper. One person from each group to present back.
Presentation and Manner
Dress Code Policy and Appearance ?
Uniforms, badges, etc.
Personal hygiene
Clothing – appropriate to the situation
Hair – cleanliness and style
Accessories – jewelry, earrings, watches, tattoos
Expression – facial expressions
Tone of voice
Body language
Surroundings (Can they see a messy desk? Dead flowers in the vase? Eating
your lunch?...)
What to Avoid
Saying ‘I don’t know’ without offering an option
Saying you don’t know where a colleague is or saying they’re at
lunch/ gone for coffee etc.
Leaving people on hold for a long time
Ignoring people if you’re busy
Treating people unequally
Factors Affecting the Quality of Service
Reliability
Confidence
Responsiveness
Efficiency
Consistency
Organization
Acceptance of and adherence to policies and procedures
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=simple+truths+customer+service+video&qpvt=sim
ple+truths+customer+service+video#view=detail&mid=C4CFF213B975C34F53A6C4CFF2
13B975C34F53A6
Simple Truths—Customer Service
Dealing with Difficult Behavior
Label the behavior, not the customer
Listen
Don’t get defensive
Don’t take it personally
Find out what the customer wants
Discuss alternatives
Take responsibility for what you CAN do
Agree on action
The Talkative Customer
Ask closed questions
Limit the time available for them to interrupt (don’t have long
pauses)
Provide minimal response
Smile and be pleasant, but don’t encourage them
Wind up – thank them for coming, walk them to the door but
don’t be rude or dismissive
The Angry Customer
Listen carefully without interrupting so you understand the problem
Empathize in a broad way
Stay calm and remain polite
Don’t escalate the problem
Don’t take it personally, be defensive or blame others
Propose an action plan and follow it
Seek support if you are scared, if you can’t agree on a solution or if the
customer asks to see “whoever’s in charge”
The “Know It All” Customer
Acknowledge what they say
Compliment them on their research
Be generous with praise
Don’t put them in their place no matter how tempting
Don’t try to be smart – you can’t win!
Ask them questions and use them to improve your knowledge
Role Play
In pairs, one person takes on the role of a customer and one is the
volunteer
Use your own scenario if you have one
Swap after 5 minutes
Workshop Objectives
Our Objectives were to learn how to:
Communicate effectively with customers
Create a positive impression
Develop and maintain customer service standards
Plan good customer service
Resources:
Lessons from the Mouse by Dennis Snow
The Truths of Service
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=simple+truths+customer+service+video
&qpvt=simple+truths+customer+service+video#view=detail&mid=C82EFCCCA
DA43C3AD5EFC82EFCCCADA43C3AD5EF
Video Clip: Johnny the Bagger
Challenge for Personal Signature on Customer Service &
Make Magical Moments
REFERENCES
