disney customer service case study

How to Approach Customer Service Like Disney

Updated: August 13, 2021

Published: February 16, 2021

Walt Disney once said, "Do a good job. You don't have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself."

Essentially, Disney was saying that the "why" of your business shouldn't be about making money. It should be focused on your customers. Do you want to bring them happiness, create memories, or make their job easier?

If so, then you need to focus on creating experiences instead of focusing on your bottom line. That's just one of the great lessons that Disney has taught us about customer service.

But, what else can we learn? Let's dive into the Disney customer service model and discover what B2B/B2C companies can learn from it.

Disney Customer Service Model

Disney has a guiding principle; a common purpose that all of its employees are responsible for upholding: "We create happiness by providing the best in entertainment for people of all ages everywhere."

To ensure employees live by that mission, Disney has a defined set of quality standards that help cast members through their decision-making process for all customer service issues. With this approach to customer service, cast members are empowered to make decisions. This brings us to Disney's Four Key Basics , in priority order: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.

Cast members should always practice safe behaviors and put safety first. They are supposed to project a positive image and energy, be courteous and respectful to all guests, and go above and beyond expectations. Cast members should stay in character and perform their role at all times. And with efficiency, the goal is to use time and resources wisely.

These standards are also prioritized so cast members can make their own decisions.

For an in-depth overview on these key points, check out our video case study on Disney here.

Besides the four key basics, Disney also has seven service guidelines :

Be Happy – make eye contact and smile.
Be like Sneezy – greet and welcome every customer. 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 – display appropriate body language at all times.
Be like Sleepy – create dreams and preserve the magical guest experience.
Don't be Dopey – thank every Guest!

With these guidelines and standards, Disney can train all cast members to share and provide the same level of service. These guiding principles are what empower cast members to give exceptional service because they know the core goal is to create happiness.

Ultimately, Disney's customer service is carefully designed. The company has built a reputation for excellence. If they didn't provide excellent customer service, would they have the brand authority they have? Probably not.

Customer service is a key component of brand perception. In fact, Disney has such an excellent customer service reputation that they even teach this at their Disney Institute .

So, now you must be wondering, "How can I approach customer service like Disney?"

Empower your employees.
Create a culture around your customers.
Meticulously design your customer service standards.
Provide excellent training for your team.
Go above and beyond.
Use the LAST model.

1. Empower your employees.

One of the main things we can learn from Disney's customer service framework is to empower employees to make good decisions.

Everyone should understand the standards and guidelines so they can make autonomous decisions. You don't want your service reps to feel like they can't make decisions and managers to feel like they need to micromanage their direct reports.

2. Create a culture around your customers.

Another way that Disney has designed their customer service is with the compass method. A compass has North, West, South, and East on it to help guide people.

The Disney compass has Needs, Wants, Stereotypes, and Emotions to guide its cast members.

This customer service plan is focused on identifying customer needs, anticipating customer wants, understanding the stereotypes people might have about your company, and tapping into customer emotions.

The Disney company culture is centered on knowing what customers need and want while contextualizing that information with stereotypes and emotions.

Ultimately, with this plan, Disney will know their customers intimately and continue learning about them.

3. Meticulously design your customer service standards.

As you can tell, the customer service plan at Disney is thoughtfully designed. Your customer service should follow suit.

You need to figure out what the common purpose of your company is so that employees can use that purpose as a guidepost.

With a common purpose, and defined values and standards, your employees will be able to make great customer service decisions.

4. Provide excellent training for your team.

For customer service to work like a well oiled machine, you need to hire the right people. Your employees should be happy, friendly, energetic people. Additionally, you should treat them well so that they want to perform well.

Once you've hired a great time, you need to provide consistent, excellent training for them. Disney provides several detailed orientations teaching cast members everything they need to know about Disney and how to do their job.

This could be a long process. At HubSpot, our new hire training lasts at least two weeks (maybe more depending on the role).

Also, you don't want to forget to provide continuous training opportunities. Whether it's through an online learning program or mentorship programs, your employees should have several ways to develop and grow in their job.

5. Go above and beyond.

One of the guiding principles at Disney is to exceed expectations. At your company, you should implement going above and beyond into the culture.

Encourage and reward employees who are always exceeding expectations. Your reps shouldn't just do the bare minimum. They should think about how they can go above and beyond with every customer interaction.

6. Use the LAST model.

A previous Disney employee remembers that cast members were supposed to use the LAST model during customer interactions with upset guests. This acronym stands for: Listen, Apologize, Solve, and Thank. This is how employees are expected to handle customer complaints.

Your company can and should teach your reps about this model. A great customer service rep will actively listen to the customer, genuinely apologize for what they're going through, solve the problem, and thank them for their patronage. This is one of the best models to show empathy while fixing an issue.

Disney is known as the happiest place on Earth. While not every company can have that kind of reputation, you can apply the same business model and principles to your company to help you improve your customer service.

Apply for a job, keep track of important information, and prepare for an interview with the help of this free job seekers kit.

Don't forget to share this post!

How AI Image Misuse Made a World of Miscommunication [Willy's Chocolate Experience]

7 Ways to Delight Your Customers This Holiday Season

14 Customer Experience Fails that Companies Can Learn From

How Customer Experience Has Evolved Over the Last Decade [+ 2024 Trends]

Memorable Examples of AR in Customer Experience [+Tips for Implementing the Technology]

How to Create an Effective Customer Journey Map [Examples + Template]

Digital Customer Experience: The Ultimate Guide for 2023

How to Implement a Hybrid Customer Service Strategy That Works [Expert Tips]

User Flows: 8 Tips For Creating A Super Smooth User Experience

11 Best Practices for B2B Customer Experience

Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free customer journey map templates.

Service Hub provides everything you need to delight and retain customers while supporting the success of your whole front office

Analytics & Reporting
Graphic Design
Video Production
Testimonials

Select Page

5 Lessons Learned from Be Our Guest: The Art of Disney’s Customer Service

Jan 8, 2021

The revised and updated edition of Be Our Guest is a book written by the Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni, and shares how to perfect the art of customer service.

Be Our Guest outlines the specific processes and practices The Walt Disney Company uses to ensure every guest who visits a Disney property or product is left feeling impressed, satisfied, and happy.

Setting off the tone of the book, it starts with “ Always remember, the magic beings with you .”

Here are some of the lessons I learned from Be Our Guest:

Onstage and Backstage — Having performed in the past at both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, I’ve seen firsthand how this approach is applied. Disney’s mentality is that you should treat your event or property as a show, and anything your customer can see, hear or touch is onstage — and serving your customers in person should be treated as if you’re onstage too. Anything backstage should not be seen by the customer, including props, resting employees, tools, and more. Components of setting include lighting, color, signage, surface textures, ambient noise and music, smell, touch, and taste.
Delivering Magic and the Wow Factor — As part of defining its brand, Disney decided early on to bring magic to the table. From the moment a guest enters a park or sees a Disney movie, they are to be transported to a world of possibility, delight and excitement every time. To deliver magic, you must also have an obsession with details and make sure everything is presented perfectly and accurately every time.
The Quality Service Compass — Central to Disney’s goals is always exceeding guest expectations, and the four points of the compass make this happen; guestology, quality standards, delivery systems, and integration. Guestology is understanding and knowing the needs and wants of your customer, including demographics and psychographics.
Define Your Common Purpose — The Walt Disney Company reaches high success levels due to all employees having a common purpose. For Disney, their common purpose and service culture includes safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency.
Guidelines for Guest Service — Highlights of Disney’s guidelines for guest service include maintaining eye contact and smiling when greeting guests, greet and welcome guests with favorable phrases, try and remedy problems and questions quickly before they escalate, display appropriate body language, appear presentable, and thank guests often.

To almost all, the Walt Disney Company remains a global force and example of impeccable customer service. Be Our Guest dives deep and illuminates the corners of Disney’s tactics in delivering their charm and magic — inviting all companies to join in the pursuit of bringing perfection to guests.

About The Author

Christian Steinsworth

Christian Steinsworth is a 17-year digital marketing communications consultant implementing innovative and dynamic social media, email marketing, graphic design, video, and web development solutions for clients nationwide.

The 5th Avenue Theatre Performs West Side Story

June 2, 2019

Interview with Stephen Perkins: A Teen Entrepreneur

December 28, 2020

Celebrating 600: The Digital Odyssey of 17 Years in Marketing

September 17, 2023

Blogging Like A Diva: Interview with Dede Watson

SUGGESTED TOPICS
The Magazine
Newsletters
Managing Yourself
Managing Teams
Work-life Balance
The Big Idea
Data & Visuals
Reading Lists
Case Selections
HBR Learning
Topic Feeds
Account Settings
Email Preferences

How Disney Encourages Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service

Sponsor Content from Disney Institute.

By Bruce Jones, Senior Director, Disney Institute

At Disney Institute , where we work with business professionals from around the world, we are often asked, “How does Disney motivate their Cast M embers to consistently deliver exceptional guest service.”

5 Lessons Retailers Can Learn from Disney's Customer Strategy

Customer Experience

There aren’t too many industries where the customer wields the power to make or break a business. But in retail, it’s the consumers who determine your success, and it’s important the industry acknowledges a simple truth: the customer is everything.

With this in mind, retailers must do everything in their power to enhance and optimize their own customer experience . Doing so can bring about increased employee engagement, a loyal customer base, improved operational efficiency, and a brand reputation that rises to the top of a crowded field.

Disney is the leading example of a brand that has achieved global recognition as a result of CX. Although not purely retail, the customer is a vital part of its business ventures that includes cinema, theme parks, and sports.

The US giant is known for providing an awe-inspiring CX across everything it touches. Whether it’s fulfilling the dreams of children in one of its many resorts or captivating an audience with its latest blockbuster movie, Disney stands out and brand retailers can undoubtedly look to and take notes from, boasting numbers like a 70% customer retention rate, and 4.7 star rating awarded by over 500,000 reviewers.

Keep reading to find out why CX is so important and how Disney optimizes a customer experience.

1. The importance of CX 2. Disney's CX approach 3. Applying Disney's CX to retail

Understanding the importance of customer experience

When we say customer experience, we’re talking about the all-encompassing impression your customers have of your brand throughout the entirety of their journey. For retailers, touchpoints often include online services and support, in-store service, and product interaction.

CX can be traced back to the 1960s when the boom in consumerism led to the expansion of market research. This, in turn, caused businesses to conclude that pricing and availability were no longer enough to build customer loyalty. The consumer wanted something more.

During its infancy, CX had fewer moving parts as the customer’s experience was limited to in-store only. Today’s retail is very different, and CX has evolved alongside shifting consumer expectations.

Navigating Business Challenges in Retail and Hospitality: Insights and Strategies for 2024

But the customer’s importance has remained the same, and 90% of CEOs listed the customer as having the greatest influence on their business.

Below are some of the areas this influence touches:

Improved operational efficiency

CX optimization typically includes the optimization of store operations—processes and services are streamlined to better serve the consumers. This often results in superior resource allocation, reduced costs, and improved operational facilities. By prioritizing customer experience, retailers can identify and eliminate anything that impacts the smooth running of the store.

Increased customer loyalty

Retaining customers is vital to the success of your business. New consumers are valuable of course, but it’s your loyal customers who drive revenue through repeat purchases and word-of-mouth recommendations. Not only are existing customers up to 10x more profitable than new ones but acquiring a new customer can cost up to 7x more than retaining an old one. And a proven way to keep consumers coming back? Optimizing your CX. In fact, 1 in 3 consumers will leave a brand after a single negative experience.

Increased employee engagement

It might seem strange to suggest improving customer experience is good for your workforce, but it’s true. CX and employee engagement are closely connected, with one driving the other and vice versa. Companies that excel in CX experience a 20% increase in employee engagement. And companies with engaged employees have customer retention rates 233% higher than those who don't.

Differentiates you from your competitors

In the highly competitive retail industry, businesses are finding it difficult to differentiate themselves through products and pricing. Instead, CEOs view CX as the place to compete, and 39% of them selected CX as the best way to create a competitive advantage. Optimizing your customer experience can increase your brand reputation and make you stand out in an increasingly crowded field.

Disney's approach to customer experience

Walt Disney once said “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

A lot has changed since Disney’s founder passed away, but the man behind the magic touched on a universal truth that applies to today’s CX approach: optimization is the key to success.

Let's take a closer look at how Disney approaches CX in 2023:

Optimizes its workforce via a common purpose

Disney knows that to optimize your customer experience, you must first optimize your workforce. After all, it’s your employees who deliver the experience. And one of the best ways to do this is to create a common purpose. Doing so tells your employees what you stand for and fosters a collective sense of belonging. All of which results in happier and more motivated employees.

Disney’s common purpose is: "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages everywhere." When their employees know to prioritize happiness, it empowers them to make their own decisions and create magical moments.

Views CX as an asset, not an expense

Some retailers might be guilty of cutting corners when it comes to CX in order to save money. However, the return on investment associated with an optimized experience almost always justifies the short-term costs associated with delivering an exceptional CX strategy. Disney knows that investing in their products and services will eventually benefit them in the long run.

Attention to detail and consistency

How does Disney provide magical moments? By believing every moment is magical. By this we mean that Disney tries to optimize every single moment, minimizing issues so that customers can fully immerse themselves in the world of Disney.

From theming to park cleanliness and merchandise, Disney ensures high standards and attention to detail across all touchpoints.

Now let's take a look at how Disney expands on these principles with specific strategies and tactics.

Key strategies and tactics employed by Disney

Highly trained and engaged employees

We’ve touched on Disney’s use of a common purpose to engage and empower its employees. However, to ensure employees live by that, it uses a set of quality standards that assists employees through the decision-making process. This is known as Disney’s Four Key Basics : Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.

Cast members should prioritize safety above all else. Next is to be courteous to all guests, and to exceed expectations. Cast members must remain in character at all times. All of this is to be performed with efficiency. The key basics are in priority order to further help employees when making their own decisions.

In addition to the basics, Disney has seven service guidelines that, in true Disney fashion, are based on the seven dwarfs:

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!

With these standards in place, Disney ensures all cast members are providing the same high level of service across the globe. It’s this cohesive experience that has strengthened Disney’s brand reputation over the years and acts as a foundation for an optimized CX.

Personalization and customization

Personalization is a growing trend that consumers expect from all businesses, regardless of size. In fact, 66% of consumers expect brands to understand their individual needs, and 63% won't buy from brands with poor personalization.

Despite the millions of customers that interact with their brand every year, Disney has found a unique way to give everyone a personalized experience.

Upon arrival, guests can receive a button that displays the reason for their visit, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, retirement, etc. This allows them to treat each guest individually and personalize interactions. Guests also have the option to customize their day at Disney with various dining and entertainment options.

Continuous innovation and adaptation

The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, and its first theme park was opened in 1971, meaning, by any metric, Disney has been around for a long time. However, it’s especially impressive when you consider the average lifespan of a business is just over 21 years . So, how has Disney remained excellent for practically a century? Through continuous innovation and adaptation.

The most obvious example of their ability to adapt is how they have embraced technology. For instance, the My Disney Experience App allows guests to place food orders, purchase ‘Fast Pass’ tickets, and track their live location via GPS.

Besides tech, Disney continuously expands and improves its services, offers personalized experiences, and evolves its staff training—all of which contribute to an enhanced experience.

Efficient queuing and wait-time management

We can all agree that the worst part of theme parks is queueing. And despite Disney’s extensive number of attractions and rides, queues inevitably form once the parks reach peak capacity. This is problematic for CX as a significant portion of your time is spent waiting for the actual experience. This ties in with another problem— the modern consumer is more impatient than ever. In fact, 70% of customers are only willing to wait 15 minutes for a service.

Disney responded with a number of practical solutions. For an additional price, guests can purchase fast lane tickets for attractions of their choice, which allows them to join a separate, and much shorter, queue. And guests staying at a Disney resort can access the parks a full 30 minutes before the official opening. There are also single-rider lanes and a policy where visitors can join a queue at closing time and still be allowed to ride.

Attention to cleanliness and maintenance

With all of the attractions, rides, and sweet-smelling snack stands dotted around their parks, you would be forgiven for overlooking how clean the place is. However, Disney has developed a reputation for outstanding attention to cleanliness and maintenance which unquestionably contributes to an optimized CX.

When it comes to cleanliness, Disney spares no expense, again, tying into their view that CX is a long-term investment. To isolate one example, bromine is utilized in place of chlorine as a pool cleaning agent owing to the fact it’s effective at killing bacteria while being less harsh on the skin.

You’ll also notice that Disney’s parks are full of trash and recycling cans. Walt Disney concluded that a person is unwilling to travel more than 30 feet for a trash can. For this reason, a trash can is always within at least 30 feet of every customer, essentially prompting customers to act as cleaners, or at least clean up after themselves.

They’re equally thorough with overall park maintenance. Rides are regularly inspected, scuba divers are employed for underwater maintenance, gum is removed every night, and their extensive plant life is taken care of all year round.

Immersive storytelling and theming

We’re all familiar with Disney’s legendary storytelling through TV and film. And their ability to create an immersive experience extends to its theme parks— Harry Potter World, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios are among their most popular attractions.

And when it comes to optimizing CX, Disney’s storytelling creates an emotional connection with its audience, evoking feelings of excitement, joy, and nostalgia. This strong response results in long-lasting memories that contribute to brand reputation and overall CX.

With 83% of consumers stating they are more likely to purchase from a brand they have an emotional connection with, Disney is aware of the growing role emotions have on CX.

By leveraging immersive storytelling, Disney creates a magical experience that separates it from its competitors and leaves customers wanting another visit.

Applying Disney's customer experience principles to retail

Invest and optimize employee training.

As mentioned, Disney invests in its employees, training them through the use of guidelines and standards so that they can deliver an exceptional and consistent experience across all touchpoints. Retail managers must do the same and invest in comprehensive training that empowers employees to provide a memorable experience.

Apple’s retail arm is a great example of how to successfully optimize employee training in order to enhance CX. By investing in tech-centric training—such as the use of apps—Apple provides its ‘Geniuses’ with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver outstanding customer experience. And it works—Apple’s customer satisfaction rates check in at 82 out of 100.

In an industry with a serious training problem— 32% of retail workers report receiving no training whatsoever—optimizing your own is a great way to differentiate yourself from the rest.

Optimize store layout for an immersive experience

Although Theme Parks are an almost perfect medium for storytelling, retailers can still learn from Disney’s emphasis on theming to elicit an emotional connection. In fact, by optimizing physical store layouts , retailers can weave a memorable narrative that enhances CX.

LEGO stores are renowned for their impressive storytelling experiences. Walk into any LEGO store and you will typically see intricate themed displays that are an example of world-building on a smaller scale. Customers can walk around the store and interact with products, immersing themselves in a story and utilizing their own creativity. All of this helps foster an emotional connection and improves the customer’s experience, resulting in a customer satisfaction score of 89 out of 100 .

Invest in the right technology to improve CX

Disney has maintained exceptional CX for decades due to their ability to adapt. Nothing highlights this more than their investment in technology. Today, consumers can navigate the parks through a state-of-the-art app, and reduce wait times by purchasing queue jumps online.

Technology is a great way for retailers to improve their own CX by offering enhanced convenience, personalized experiences, and seamless interactions.

Take Amazon and their ‘Go’ Stores (also known as ‘Fresh’) - a chain of partly automated convenience stores that utilize ‘just walk out’ tech - advanced technologies including sensor fusion and machine learning. Customers enter the store by scanning an app, pick up what they want, and then walk out, providing unrivaled convenience, speed, and ease.

Leverage customer data for a personalized experience

Through personalized greetings to customized experiences, Disney manages to make every visitor feel special. Retailers can do the same by formulating their own personalization strategy. The best way to do this? Leveraging customer data.

Data can help create a working profile of your customer base, allowing you to understand their wants and needs. And although some view data collection as an invasion of privacy, 66% of consumers say they will share personal data about themselves if they think it will elevate customer experience.

Bringing it back to retail, Sephora offers some of the most personalized experiences. By getting customers to create a beauty profile and analyzing their purchase history, the beauty retailer offers personalized product recommendations, exclusive rewards, and even birthday gifts.

Prioritize attention to detail

It’s Disney’s attention to detail that keeps its parks clean and well-maintained, leaving customers to freely enjoy a seamless experience without any problems.

There are a multitude of retail areas where attention to detail can enhance customer experience. These include providing high-quality products, optimizing layout for customer convenience, and improving customer service.

And who’s applying this principle in retail particularly well? IKEA pays great attention to both its in-store experience and product design. Their store layout is optimized, making it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for. And their products are functional, easy to set up, and aesthetically pleasing.

A key piece of learning is repetition as reinforcement, so to wrap things up - here’s a summary!

Disney has established itself as a leader in providing exceptional CX. In analyzing Disney’s approach, retailers can take away key insights and apply them to their own customer experience. These key lessons are:

Optimizing employee training

Enhancing in-store layout

Investing in the right technology

Leveraging customer data for a personalized experience

Prioritizing attention to detail

Ultimately, CX is the new battleground for retailers looking to stand out, and there’s no better example than a company that creates magical moments on a daily basis. Disney may not be a ‘pure’ retailer, but retailers can sure learn a lot from Disney.

Ready to take your frontline training to the next level? eduMe is the platform of choice for your frontline workforce.

By seamlessly integrating into existing work tools and engaging users with bite-sized lessons when they need it most, eduMe optimizes your workforce without any hassle. Companies that have chosen us to improve their training are already reaping the benefits, including a 66% increase in sales and a 10% increase in customer ratings.

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn

3 Ways to Improve Productivity and Efficiency in Manufacturing

8 Things We Learnt from Surveying 300+ Retail & Hospitality Leaders

5 Ways to Improve Shop Floor Productivity

Root out friction in every digital experience, super-charge conversion rates, and optimize digital self-service

Uncover insights from any interaction, deliver AI-powered agent coaching, and reduce cost to serve

Increase revenue and loyalty with real-time insights and recommendations delivered to teams on the ground

Know how your people feel and empower managers to improve employee engagement, productivity, and retention

Take action in the moments that matter most along the employee journey and drive bottom line growth

Whatever they’re are saying, wherever they’re saying it, know exactly what’s going on with your people

Get faster, richer insights with qual and quant tools that make powerful market research available to everyone

Run concept tests, pricing studies, prototyping + more with fast, powerful studies designed by UX research experts

Track your brand performance 24/7 and act quickly to respond to opportunities and challenges in your market

Explore the platform powering Experience Management

Free Account
For Digital
For Customer Care
For Human Resources
For Researchers
Financial Services
All Industries

Popular Use Cases

Customer Experience

Employee Experience
Employee Exit Interviews
Net Promoter Score
Voice of Customer
Customer Success Hub
Product Documentation
Training & Certification
XM Institute
Popular Resources
Customer Stories
Market Research
Artificial Intelligence
Partnerships
Marketplace

The annual gathering of the experience leaders at the world’s iconic brands building breakthrough business results, live in Salt Lake City.

English/AU & NZ
Español/Europa
Español/América Latina
Português Brasileiro
REQUEST DEMO

6 Ways Disney World delivers top customer experiences

When it comes to world-class customer experience (CX) , Walt Disney World is at the top of the list. Disney delights its customers young and old, from the moment they purchase their tickets to the moment they exit the park.

Disney puts value on the lifetime customer relationship and as a result has a 70 percent return rate for first-time visitors. Below are six lessons we can learn about customer experience from Disney.

Related: Customer experience design toolkit

1. Top-down CX/EX approach

On the first day of Disney training, employees are taught that their purpose, regardless of position, is to create happiness . Bruce Jones, Senior Director, Disney Institute, said “When our Cast Members know their primary goal is to create happiness, they are empowered to create what we like to call magical moments. From our park greeters to our attraction attendants, every employee makes decisions regarding a guest interaction centered on this key theme of ‘creating happiness.’” Leaders at Disney are constantly teaching about customer experience and training their employees to create magical moments. In addition to equipping employees to do their jobs, leaders help employees understand how they fit into the bigger organization and empower them to make a difference for their customers.

It’s hard to create an organization that exemplifies customer experience if it doesn't start at the top. It must be ingrained in the company culture and leadership should be so passionate about fostering a company culture that focuses on the customer experience that it flows into all areas of the company. In the Qualtrics webinar, How To Ignite Your Organization Through Leadership , Steve Bennetts, Employee Experience (EX) Expert at Qualtrics, says leadership must not only set the corporate vision, but the vision for experience management as a whole. Furthermore, research is finding that companies who understand the link between employee experience and customer experience reap financial benefits. 84 percent of organizations that prioritize CX report an increase in revenue and companies with high employee engagement report bringing in 2.5x more revenue than companies with low engagement.

Walt Disney himself was even rumored to be obsessed with customer service at Disneyland, once again proving that leadership dictates company culture.

2021 Consumer Trend Report: Stay up to date on consumer behavior trends

2. Knowledgeable staff

In addition to having some of the friendliest employees, Disney staff members know the details of their jobs well. On a recent trip, almost every staff member I encountered at Disney World knew the answer to my question, or could quickly find the answer. They also had recommendations for food and entertainment that made my visit more enjoyable.

According to Bloomberg BNA , training happens year-round and employees are constantly reminded to give consistent guest experiences. They take a comprehensive and strategic approach which reinforces their company values, history, and operating philosophies. New employees actually go through six weeks of training before they even see a guest. During training, Disney focuses on an experience mentality, rather than a task mentality.

When a consumer interacts with one of your customer service or sales representatives, can the same be said? Are your staff members knowledgeable about your products and empowered to handle customer complaints? In a recent study of 1,000 consumers by Gladly , 92 percent said they would switch to another company after three (or fewer) negative customer service experiences. How your employees interact with your customers can directly impact your bottom line.

3. Masterful personalization

Everybody wants to feel special, and Disney has a unique way of taking an experience meant for millions and personalizing it for the individual. When guests arrive to pick up their tickets, they can get a button that tells why they’re celebrating at Disney World, whether it be a birthday, marriage, retirement, or first time visiting. They aim to treat each guest individually and create personal interactions . Guests can schedule rides to minimize wait times and create their own personalized day with various dining and entertainment options.

Personalization is now key to achieving a superior customer experience. Companies must communicate to consumers on a one-to-one level and create relevant messaging and products to create long-term customers.

CX Study: Learn how to increase the ROI of your customer experience

4. User-friendly mobile app

The My Disney Experience App is one of the best apps I’ve ever used. First, it contains most of the information on the website but it’s not just the website shoved into app-form. It’s laid out well and even has GPS-enabled walking directions between attractions. I can easily find park hours, showtimes, wait times for rides, and order food so I don’t need to wait in line. It’s also personalized for me. All of my ticket, dining reservations, and photos are in the app, along with a personalized schedule that I can create to make sure I don’t miss the biggest rides and attractions.

Mobile devices continually redefine how people communicate and organizations must have a mobile-first mindset to retain their share of market. 57% of all US online traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets ( BrightEdge , 2017) and that number is continuing to rise. Organizations must have a mobile-first mindset and continually think about the human on the other side of the screen.

5. Constantly capturing feedback

Disney understands its customers holistically because it’s constantly capturing feedback. The Disney survey team is in the theme parks capturing customer feedback as guests exit and enter the facility. I even got a survey emailed to me the day after I went to the Magic Kingdom. The survey started with basic demographic information and moved into asking about technology I use regularly and am planning to purchase. It asked my use of chat features, what technology I’m comfortable with, and how I used my smartphone during my recent Disney trip. The survey took about 15 minutes. They also allow for in-app feedback and guests can email in customer service suggestions.

In order to understand their customers, organizations must be constantly capturing feedback. Surveys should consist of multiple choice and open-ended feedback, so consumers can voice the things they think are most important.

CX eBook: How to Listen, Adapt, & Design the experience customers want next

6. Create emotional connections with all their customers

Disney creates emotional connections with all its customers. They’re not just selling rides, but creating an experience. While many people think Disney is just for kids, Disney makes a concerted effort to cater to adults as well. On a recent trip, I actually saw more adults than children and Disney Springs stays open late. Disney also provides accommodations for guests with various disabilities, so no one has to miss out on the fun.

People will always remember the way you made them feel and by taking advantage of every opportunity to delight your customer, you will create lifelong customers. To emotionally connect with your customers, be genuine and respond to the feedback they give you.

For more information about taking your CX program to the next level, download our Customer Experience Design Toolkit today!

Customer Experience Design Toolkit

Diana Kaemingk

Diana Kaemingk is a contributor to the Qualtrics blog.

March 21, 2024

Turning reactive CX into proactive CX

March 11, 2024

Conversational AI: Exploring the future of experience management

February 5, 2024

Qualtrics again named a Leader in 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Voice of the Customer report

January 30, 2024

Qualtrics now a CMS-approved vendor to conduct the Health Outcomes Survey

January 22, 2024

How AI powered personalization is transforming customer experience

December 15, 2023

Qualtrics named a Voice of the Customer (VoC) Leader in IDC MarketScape report

December 12, 2023

To be a change maker in CX, focus on business outcomes

November 28, 2023

Qualtrics Customer Success Hub: Taking digital self-service to the next level

Stay up to date with the latest xm thought leadership, tips and news., request demo.

Ready to learn more about Qualtrics?

How Disney Creates Magical Experiences (and a 70% Return Rate)

Disney’s ability to “wow” its fans and captivate customers for decades is explored in depth in Be Our Guest , a veritable handbook for Disney magic.

Of all the facts featured within, perhaps the most surprising is the 70% return rate of first time Disney visitors.

It’s tough to overstate just how impressive that is, especially for a theme park. It’s loyalty on a whole other level.

Below, I’ll highlight some interesting and unique takeaways that the Disney Institute was willing to share in Be Our Guest.

Try the customer support platform your team and customers will love

Teams using Help Scout are set up in minutes, twice as productive, and save up to 80% in annual support costs. Start a free trial to see what it can do for you.

“Magic” is Made by Optimizing the Mundane

Perhaps the most unexpected finding when evaluating Disney’s penchant for “magic” is the focus on process—the drive and ability to optimize the mundane.

Walt was obsessed with the process. He knew that the deliverance of a magical experience each and every time is dependent on developing processes that allow you to do so.

Walt viewed his theme parks almost as “factories” that produced delight and entertainment. His belief was that the backbone of Quality Service was built on designing perfect processes and then repeating them at scale.

It almost seems cold to think of a wondrous place like Disneyland in such a way, but Walt knew that the magic was powered by these processes:

Think of process as a railroad engine. If the engine does not run properly, it does not matter how friendly the conductor acts or how attractive the passenger cars look, the train will still not move and the passengers will not pay their fares. Process is the engine of Quality Service.

Disney has seemingly held true to these beliefs with their close attention to detail in constantly improving their processes. It’s safe to say that they always sweat the small stuff.

Some examples mentioned in Be Our Guest include:

Turning around misfortune. Despite the efforts made to inform customers of height limits, often a young child will wait with a parent to go on a ride, only to find out he or she isn’t tall enough. Disney noticed that this was a major complaint from parents and, more importantly, ruined the experience for children. They have given staff permission to hand out a special pass when this happens that allows the child to skip to the front of the line on his or her next ride.

Ending the experience strong. What better way to end a magic experience than with a smooth exit? Unfortunately, Disney found many guests had problems finding their cars when leaving on trams. Tram drivers now keep a simple list of what rows they work each morning, which is distributed to team members at the end of the day. This allows guests to simply denote the time they arrived, and the tram drivers will know what location the guest parked in. A huge win for ending the day without hassle.

Fulfilling unique needs. Disney cast members found that disabled guests were often frustrated with parks because they had to constantly remind staff they were disabled, and they wanted to let staff know discretely. Disney created Special Assistance passes and provided their cast with a wide variety of training so that they were able to identify and fulfill the needs of disabled guests without invasive questions.

Walt seemed to perfect these processes by observing each and every detail. Hey didn’t just want Disneyland to be better—he wanted it to be 100x better than anything available.

Constant and Never-ending Optimization

Part of Walt’s passion for processes is seen in his obsession with the details. This is a common trait among notable (and sometimes controversial) founders like Steve Jobs, who once famously called up Google’s Vic Gundotra on a Sunday to say that the second “o” in the Google iPhone app didn’t have the right yellow gradient.

Walt was a similar stickler for the experiences at his park. His obsession with the park stemmed from the fact that he saw it as a forever incomplete product which could always be improved.

The lengths he would go to improve it are something of legend:

Walt would wear old clothes and a straw farmer’s hat and tour the park incognito. Dick Nunis, who was at the time a supervisor in Frontierland, remembers being tracked down by Walt during one of these visits.

Walt had ridden the Jungle Boat attraction and had timed the cruise. The boat’s operator had rushed the ride, which had ended in four and a half minutes instead of the full seven it should have taken.

Dick and Walt took the ride together and discussed the proper timing. The boat pilots used stopwatches to learn the perfect speed. Weeks went by until one day Walt returned. He road the Jungle Boats four times with different pilots.

In the end, he said nothing, just gave Dick a “Good show!” thumbs-up and continued on his way.

Another story that has circulated about Walt’s obsession with detail regards the placement of trash cans at the Disney parks. As it turns out, it is actually true.

Walt was said to have studied other amusement parks and found that people would generally not walk more than 30 steps before littering after finishing a food item. Disney parks are apparently built with this in mind and aim to have an abundance of trash receptacles that are never more than a few yards away.

Last but not least, Walt encouraged this sort of obsession with the product in his team. Some of the innovations that Disney engineers have come up with are nothing short of amazing. One of the most impressive is the ambient sound system used in Disney World to keep the sound levels consistent throughout the entire park:

Today, as you walk through Disney World, the volume of the ambient music does not change. Ever. More than 15,000 speakers have been positioned using complex algorithms to ensure that the sound plays within a range of just a couple decibels throughout the entire park. It is quite a technical feat acoustically, electrically, and mathematically.

“When Does the Three O’Clock Parade Start?”

This question became so commonplace that the Disney Institute and Disney University now utilize it to train new cast members.

How so? Well, it’s asked to new employees in theoretical scenarios to assess whether or not they understand the importance of in customer communications.

The reason is that guests don’t ask this question out of ignorance—their meaning is often, “When will the three o’clock parade pass here?”

Disney creatively uses this common question as a litmus test for potential cast members. The best hires know to offer helpful and proactive advice: “You’re in luck! It should be passing by here in 5 minutes. Would you like me to help you find a great spot so you can clearly see the parade?”

It’s interesting—and for me, reassuring—that the Disney Institute places such emphasis on tone and service delivery. They believe it’s one of the most universal things any company can do to improve their support, which is something I’ve addressed before .

They’ve also developed training for tone through a system called the Traditions Program:

It explores the effects of posture, gestures, and facial expressions on the guest experience. And it explains how tone of voice and the use of humor can contribute to—or detract from—service delivery.

The idea is that this sort of training should take precedence over everything else. Though Disney certainly has other forms of education for cast members, the thinking is that if you can’t get interactions down, it won’t matter how “right” you are in assisting customers.

Your Front Line is Your Bottom Line

The team you build is the company you build.

Understanding that such innovation could only be had with a motivated team, Walt placed great emphasis on making sure Disney employees could polish their craft. He seems to have been heavily invested in the early days, when he had the resources to step in personally:

If you were a young animator at Disney in 1931 and you didn’t own a car, there was a good chance that several nights a week Walt himself would chauffeur you and a group of your colleagues to Los Angeles for company-paid classes at the Chouinard Art Institute.

Later, Walt hired a lead teacher at Chouinard to teach at Disney Studio so employees wouldn’t even have to make the drive. To Walt, this wasn’t an expense, but an investment. He fully believed that giving the right people the right motivation was the only way to accomplish his dream: “Whatever we have accomplished is due to the combined effort. The organization must be with you, or you can’t get it done.”

Despite Walt’s penchant for process, he also recognized the importance of building a self-sufficient team . It’s no wonder that so many of Disney’s innovations have come from ground-level employees:

Walt never did build an organization in the strictest sense of that word. What he built was a loosely unified group of talented people with particular abilities who could work together in continually changing patterns. They did this with a minimum of command and a maximum of dedication. What Walt wanted was the greatest creative effort—not the most efficient operation.

It is apparent that Walt was ahead of his time. He may even have been at home with the remote work powered startups of today. It seems he favored the best output possible with the best people available; everything else was secondary.

No Team Can Operate in a Bubble

In Disneyland’s early years, when a suggestion came about to build an administration building for the management at Disneyland, Walt opposed the idea vehemently.

“I don’t want you guys sitting behind desks. I want you out in the park, watching what people are doing and finding out how you can make the place more enjoyable for them.”

Walt was not just talk. He lived by these words. Senior Vice President Tony Baxter describes how Walt would pay close attention whenever he had the opportunity to observe how children reacted to new amusements. When Baxter brought his younger sister and her friend to test a new ride, Walt was attentive and inquisitive:

The three of them rode through the attraction, and when it was over, Walt asked if they liked it enough to do it again. Yes, came the answer. Walt replied, “Then you need to sing the song this time!” and the trio—two children and the leader of a corporate empire—took a second trip.

His thinking was that nobody, not even the company executive, should operate in a bubble. This emphasis on cross-collaboration within Disney has spurred on a few innovations.

When customer researchers at Disney found that guests greatly desired more access to characters appearance—and also highlighted the difficulty of navigating the crowds that formed around the characters—cast and management were immediately informed of their grievances.

The two teams worked together to make fixes right away: characters were brought into specific areas so that they could be better managed, fixed greeting locations were selected and broadcasted throughout the park with signs and pamphlets, and the CHIP (Character Hotline and Information Program) was created, resulting in a phone number that any cast member can call to find out where certain characters are.

Even among teams, Disney encourages collaborative work. At the Disney parks, there is a bi-weekly newspaper written by and for the cast called Eyes & Ears that has a larger circulation than many actual newspapers. It highlights new things about the park so that no cast member is uninformed.

On a smaller scale, this might look like the Customer Support Bulletin Board that we’ve posted about before. You can use it even with a small team to make sure marketing, engineering, IT and ops all know about how support and customer success has been recently.

Your Company’s Culture Is a Shared Purpose

Walt Disney’s take on defining a company culture was based entirely around creating a genuine shared purpose that people would be proud to support.

Over the years, Disney’s shared purpose has evolved into the following mantra:

We create happiness by providing the finest in family entertainment.

This thinking has affected many parts of Disney’s operations, according to Be Our Guest. This is actually why Walt Disney initially chose to refer to employees as “cast” members—they were always supposed to put on the best show possible for customers.

In truth, defining a shared purpose doesn’t have to be an eye-rolling affair, though some corporate cultures might make it seem so. A shared purpose for a software company like Help Scout might go beyond our intention to make useful software and instead be: “We help companies provide outstanding support for their customers.”

Our purpose is achieved not only through software, but through education, shared insights, and gathered data.

It’s also interesting to see Walt Disney outline his “vision” for Disneyland in a way a modern product manager might today. For instance, Disney established priorities that must be fulfilled in every new process or idea.

Showmanship

This was Walt Disney’s way of pruning the myriad of ideas available. Knowing that a great product starts with saying no , this was the evaluative standard used to keep bad ideas at bay.

Like what you see? Share with a friend.

Gregory ciotti.

Greg is a writer, marketing strategist and alum of Help Scout. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn .

We've got more to share

The Supportive Weekly

For the customer service obsessed

In the Works

For founders and growing companies

Your privacy matters! Help Scout only uses this info to send content and updates. You may unsubscribe anytime. View our privacy policy for more.

Queue Management System

Manage, serve and track your customers across multiple locations.

Service Intelligence

Track service data and measure staff performance.

Appointment Scheduling NEW

Easily receive bookings and manage changes in real-time.

Success Stories

See how other businesses in your industry are using Qminder.

List of Features

Learn about Qminder’s features and pricing options.

Qminder API

Use it to integrate with other apps such as CRMs, support software, backend systems, or patient management apps.

Watch a demo

Book a live demo

See how Qminder works while talking to one of our queue management experts.

Patient Check-in for hospitals, clinics, test centres, and more.

Visitor Management for City Halls, DMVs, courthouses, and more.

Queuing for students and student admission offices in colleges, high schools, and more.

Customer queue management for wholesale, tech shops, dispensaries, and more.

Customer queueing for banks, credit unions, and more.

Click and Collect

Remote queuing for curbside pick up, click and collect, and e-commerce businesses.

Help Center

Learn how to install, configure, and use Qminder.

Service Intelligence Podcast

Listen to our podcast and learn from some of the top customer service experts in the world.

Qminder Blog

Level up your knowledge about customer service, queue management, and more.

Qminder API Documentation

Learn how to integrate Qminder with other applications.

Disney’s Customer Experience Excellence

Costumed characters, thrill rides, laser light spectacles, marine life shows, aquatic playgrounds and waterslides… Yet, when you ask visitors what impressed them the most when visiting Disney World, the answers will most probably include – friendly staff, how organized the waiting lines are, their attention to detail, cleanness of the place.

Those roller coasters cost Disney millions of dollars, however, most of the times they are not the first response. The answers above might come as a surprise but bear with us till the end of the article and you will understand why it is so.

As Walter E. Disney said :

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

In today’s competitive environment this quote is most applicable than ever. And Disney has understood it for a long time already. Offering a good and high-quality product is not enough for millions of customers to eagerly wait hours before entering your premises for spending their money, just like they do at Disney.

But there is one thing that Disney excels at that allows them to have 150 million visitors in one year , and that is superb customer service experience. Disney considers extraordinary customer experience as an essential element for business success. And truth be told, serves as a perfect example as well.

The company does not only practice a good customer experience but has even created its own philosophy around it and gives exclusive customer experience summits.

But if you cannot go to Florida for the summit this year, don’t worry. We will tell you how the multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate became one of the leaders in the CX field.

Great Customer Service: Disney’s 4 Keys

Since the days of its creation, Disney has set providing exceptional customer service as one of its top priorities. With a vision of “We create happiness” the company showed to its customers as well as employees that regardless of the position of the worker’s in the amusement park, their main objective was creating customer happiness.

Exactly this very vision was a first step in creating a set of guidelines that would help the company workers in creating and maintaining the happy vibe for its guests.

Key 1: Safety

This goes without saying. How can visitors be happy if they are constantly preoccupied regarding their safety? Disney sets security of its customers as a number one priority, so they can pleasantly enjoy their magical holidays at the park.

Key 2: Courtesy

It’s the smile, energy, manners and attitude but it’s also more than that for Disney. Doing the minimum requirements will not give you the maximum outcome and Disney understands it. The company puts its maximum efforts to train and prepare employees for the excellent service.

That is why when you enter the park you see people ready to serve you with a big smile on their face. To maintain such high standards the company also rewards its most prominent employees.

Key 3: Show

Here, the show becomes the reality. Here, the cast members stay in their character at all times and commit to their roles. Visitors come to the park because they want to experience the magic.

That is why it is important to have the magical atmosphere and ensuring that the visitors get away from the reality for a while at least. But Disney also knows that there is no magic if there is no cleanness.

You can walk all you want but will find it hard to encounter a piece of trash anywhere on the ground.

Key 4: Efficiency

Run the events smoothly without inconveniences by managing the activities efficiently. Disney constantly thinks about the ways its customers can have the time of their life without unnecessary hassle. The company knows that eliminating bureaucracy and eliminating inefficiency will eliminate the frustration of the customer.

But Is That All, Folks?

Yes, those key elements serve Disney as a vital guidelines, but it is not enough. For being a CX leader the company has some additional strategies.

Listen, Listen and Listen

“Listen with your heart. You will understand.” This tip was given to Pocahontas but if you also start listening with your heart to your customer, will understand a lot of insights. Reappearing customer is no magic for Disney.

Rather, it is a result of carefully listening to its customer, identifying their needs and doing all the possible for providing the solutions to those needs.

Apart from data analytics one of the ways the company listens to its customers is the social media. Disney encourages its visitors to provide improvement suggestions on social media.

One of the examples was when Disney noticed a lot of its visitors inquiring about the character locations. Noticing this contributed to creating a CHiP system (Character Hotline and Information Program) which give a visitor updated information about the whereabouts of the characters.

Beauty and the Details

Disney knows that being attentive to small details shows the guests that they are worth it, worth of the high-quality standards that Disney gives. Ignoring the details when it comes to customer experience is not the differentiation that a company should be seeking.

Disney takes this to another level. No, we are not talking about how realistic the costumes look, how perfectly the castles are built or how clean the environment is. Disney went as far as the manhole cover .

Yes, the manhole covers are specially designed with a Mickey Mouse logo in the center. Now such small details are exactly what makes a difference and what makes the Disneyland a magical experience.

Star-Wars Technology

Imagine you see people with shining headbands, they use it to pay for the rides, food, for opening hotel doors, and even for taken pictures to later be sent to their emails. No, this is not a futuristic sci-fi movie, this is Disneyland.

The headband is called MagicBand provided by HP. This device lets the customer service reps know the name of the visitor and facilitates more personalized experience for the clients.

Such innovations give Disney opportunity to make their operations more efficient with more insights about its clients, insights that later Disney transforms to satisfied customers.

Disney is undoubtedly one of the leaders when it comes to Customer Experience. “If you can dream it you can do it” said Walt Disney. Well, the company does dream to make the customer experience superb and, apparently, they do it really good. Make customer satisfaction your dream, follow the Disney way and be sure that you will also succeed in it!

Delight Your Customers Like Disney

Try Qminder for free

I have read and agree to the privacy policy of Qminder

La Cité Student Management

25 most important customer experience statistics.

Much talk happens today around the customer experience in product design . While there is considerable literature out there on the topic, there is also much confusion in regards to what it means and how to implement it. In short, it how the customer feels at every brand touch point, as well as after, and before engaging with you, your brand, or any of your products.

While we at SWARM have a very concise approach to our customer experience design process that we believe should be a part of all new product design and turnarounds, it doesn’t explain the result of a customer experience design implementation. It’s for this purpose that we looked at the many companies executing well in this field and decided to write this study.

Disney: A Case Study in Customer Experience Design Perfection

A 70% return rate for first-time customers would be impressive for the most visited business near your home, let alone a theme park. Somehow, “ The Most Magical Place on Earth ” can attain just that. Walt Disney, the man behind making it all happen, took a more objective approach when visualizing his often sensationalized theme park “factories”:

“Think of the process as a railroad engine. If the engine does not run properly, it does not matter how friendly the conductor acts or how attractive the passenger cars look, the train will still not move, and the passengers will not pay their fares. The process is the engine of Quality Service.”

Disney prioritizes the customer experience journey, without jeopardizing the product in the meantime. This calculated equilibrium is what separates them from any other conglomerate in America. Despite leading, they refuse to adopt contentment and abandon the underdog mentality.

The journey of ‘ Discover ,’ ‘ Configure ’ and ‘ Restructure ’ can be seen in three quintessential examples:

Height limitations are one of the most frustrating elements for young park-goers, who are forced to wait in long lines only to be turned away at the last minute. To counteract this logistical nightmare for both the kids and the parents who have to hear about it, Disney began issuing passes that allow the child being turned away to head to the front of any ride’s line of their choosing (height permitting).

Due to the sheer amount of traffic visiting their parks daily, Disney installed an extensive tram system to accommodate their seemingly endless rows of parking lots so that visitors can comfortably and efficiently arrive at the entrance of the park in an optimal fashion. Unfortunately, the problem with parking lots as far as the eye can see to house all of their visitors is precisely that—the rows are seemingly endless.

Tram drivers are supplied with a list of rows and sections that coincide with the time that they would be picking visitors up from that section to trump the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that comes along with forgetting your car’s location in a jungle of them. Instead, end your day of a good note.

Disabled customers have long felt ostracized when continually having to remind park employees of their disabilities. With discretion generally preferred when alluding to the topic, park employees have been equipped with Special Assistance passes and have received training to create as seamless a transition into the park as possible to welcome these patrons the best they can. Less time with invasive questions, more time with enjoyment.

This culture carries over into other facets of the organization, with all employees buying in “ to serve the customer best “. There’s an essential distinction between reaction and proaction, with Disney mastering the former but placing emphasis on the latter. Think how the customer does, and you’ll be ahead of the game. Brands can’t afford to be too late.

The customer experience journey is the starting point in any business’s path, whether it be in services or goods. Design, delivery, and development (or Observing, Shaping and Performing) serve as the three pillars of CX, with each stage being as crucial as the last. Knowing the customers, knowing your brand and the intersection between the two is what every business’s sights should be placed on. The moment you neglect CX is the moment your customers will neglect you.

GET CURATED TECH NEWS WEEKLY

You have successfully subscribed, recommended posts.

Apology Research >
Customer Service: Disney Case Study

Customer Service Case Study: Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company is one of the most well known examples of a company succeeding in large measure by applying the principles of customer advocacy and service recovery—principles that have become an integral part of Disney's operations.

Infographic on proactive customer service stating that 70 percent of customers who decide to leave your business don't complain. 95 percent of customers share bad experiences and 87 percent good experiences.

Prior to starting his own company, Integrated Loyalty Systems, Jake Poore spent close to 20 years in customer service working on service recovery for the Walt Disney Company in Orlando and Paris entertaining 25-35 million people a year.

According to Jake,

...everyone makes mistakes, that's human. But how do you solicit those mistakes and rectify them so that the story is now possibly better than if there were no mistake at all?

The Role of Apologies in Customer Service

Jake's philosophy takes corporate apologies to a whole new level. He welcomes and even embraces the opportunity to apologize by actively seeking out reasons for doing so.

As such, he's able to improve operations, his business, and grow his customer base.

He goes on to explain that,

...uneventful does not create loyalty, and does not drive return visits or intent to refer new business.

Perhaps the worst outcome of all is a situation where mistakes aren't noticed and customers who experience poor service simply walk away without complaining and with no intention to return.

Benefits of Seeking Out Reasons to Apologize

Jake points out that almost 70% of unhappy customers who decide to leave your business don't write letters of complaint. Finding and/or soliciting customer complaints by being proactive is the key—according to Poore, it's an art.

Finding customers who have complaints (legitimate or exaggerated) provides the best opportunity to fix the problem, retain loyalty and maintain satisfaction.

Positive stories about bad experiences are just as important, and occasionally far more important, than positive stories about good experiences —the latter are expected while the former are impressive, more memorable and more likely to get repeated.

Think about your reaction upon hearing of a company that truly over-delivered on righting a wrong.

Is it the mistake that you recall which left you with a negative impression of the business? Or, do you view the company favorably and remember how impressed you were by how they handled things? For us, it would always be the latter.

Jake explains,

If your customer goes home mad...it is not only too late, but they will tell many people THEIR STORY. But if you can catch them and correct the error, now they're possibly telling YOUR STORY!

Jake Poore was so successful at customer service while at Disney he went on to start his own company Integrated Loyalty Systems , a consulting firm specializing in service development, process improvement, leadership training and service excellence, and now focused on the healthcare industry.

Customer Service & The Customer Experience

In 2020 customer experience took over both product and price as being the key brand differentiator. With this important shift in thinking, a proactive approach to customer service while seeking reasons to apologize is not only advisable but necessary.

For more on the topic, take a look at another real-world case study on customer service during a crisis and learn how they ensured a satisfying customer experience after a series of unforeseeable coincidences and poor timing caused a calamity for this prominent US company.

Or, learn about customer advocacy and why a proactive approach to customer concerns is important to any business and the customer experience.

All done? Then learn how to craft an effective business apology letter.

Source of Jake Poore Quotes - www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/03/apology_101_1.html

6 Interesting Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You

July 18, 2023

Share This Article:

An 11-year-old boy’s experience with LEGO customer service changed the company’s brand perception. It’s not only brought in more customers but also justified their lead position in the market. Here, we will discuss a few more interesting customer service case studies.

One good service can not just help one customer but also influence future customers. Reading others’ stories will help you understand ways to overcome new challenges.

I will start with some popular ones.

Popular customer experience case studies

Customer service is not just limited to providing product-related support anymore. We have passed the line way back. As the market gets more critical, everyone is running a few extra miles. Even the top companies in the field are not compromising anything.

Let’s start with JetBlue’s customer service case study.

JetBlue sets an example of how you can use social media to provide excellent customer service. They have multiple teams at different levels that are active on Twitter. And there are many examples of it.

Here is one: Paul once tweeted that he couldn’t find Starbucks at the gate while boarding the flight. JetBlue immediately responded with an alternative, which was free for him.

JetBlue's customer service case studies using Twitter.

Another challenge that JetBlue faced was the winter storm in early January of 2017 . They had to cancel a lot of flights at that time. And because of this, thousands of people were impacted.

The challenge here is that JetBlue cannot change the weather or ensure a safe flight during a storm. But they can provide up-to-date information.

So, they started to tweet updates about the storm and the flight schedule the whole time. As a result, even though the passengers were frustrated, they were happy with JetBlue’s service.

Zappos has a good reputation for providing the best customer support. And it has a lot of interesting customer service case studies. One particular service case created a lot of buzz in the market.

Zappos’s service agent talked with a customer for 10 hours in one call. And, surprisingly, Zappos took it in a positive way. The call wasn’t even about any service.

This long call started with where and how that customer lives. Then, eventually, it turns into clothing and fashion-related conversation. Finally, the customer ended the call with the purchase of a pair of UGG boots.

It breaks all the records and wins a long-running battle. Which one is better, automated calls or live agents? And without a doubt, it’s the personal touch that steals the crown every time.

This customer service case study is a bit more heartwarming. 11-year-old James Groccia has Asperger’s syndrome. He was looking at an expensive LEGO set for his birthday. It’s the exclusive Emerald Night Train set.

James saved money for two years. The money came from his birthday gifts and his participation in research. But he was heartbroken when he found out that it was unavailable.

His mother looked everywhere possible. On Amazon, eBay, or any other platform, it was either out of stock or too expensive. Eventually, with the help of a social worker, James wrote to LEGO.

It was a huge surprise to James that LEGO wrote back. And not just that, they surprised him with the exclusive Emerald Night Train set just before his 11th birthday.

LEGO's customer experience case study for a 11 year old boy.

It wasn’t easy for LEGO as well. It was a discontinued set and a collectible. They had to track it down for him. This extra mile not only made that customer happy but also established a brand perception that cares about its customers.

WPManageNinja’s customer service case study

While we were looking for customer experience stories, we talked with our Support team head, Mr. Kamrul Islam , here at the WPManageNinja office. He shared a few interesting case studies with us.

“I made a full website using your table builder plugin.”

Our support team faces and solves a lot of interesting cases every day. So, from a lot of stories, we have chosen three interesting stories to share with you in this blog. And, we are not going to be technical here at all.

So keep reading.

Story #1: Fluent Form

Let’s start with a simple one. One of our clients creates a ticket with an issue through our Fluent Support helpdesk system .

Ticket created from customer’s end

I am a Fluent Form user. And I want to create a booking form using your form builder.

Thanks a lot for contacting us. Let us get into it and see what we can do for you. We will get back to you ASAP.

Booking system plugins are typically used for appointment booking. However, our support team needs to find a way to use our form builder plugin to accomplish this task.

But instead of saying, “This is not possible,” to our client, they get to work. Started figuring out a workaround for this. For obvious reasons, a form builder cannot provide a booking system facility, but the team finds a way to use it as a basic date booking system.

Our support team used two date-picker blocks from our Fluent Form builder and used different blocks to pick the starting and ending dates. Our team got in touch with the customer and gave him the solution.

But the customer knocked again.

Ticket continue

I am happy with the solution, but I’m facing an issue. I picked one date from the “Start from” calendar drop-down, but I can still see the previous dates are active in the “End at” drop-down. I want it disabled.

Here is a screenshot.

Customer issue - Customer service case study

We can certainly help you out with this. We will get back to you shortly with a solution. We really appreciate your patience, and thanks a lot for being with us.

As our support specialist stated, they provided a solid solution. They had to write some custom code to implement a new feature in the client’s system.

service provided solution to customer - customer experience case study

That customer not only gave us a 5-star rating for our service but also became one of our loyal customers.

Story #2: Ninja Table and Fluent Form:

Speaking of adding custom features, it’s one of the regular jobs for our support team. Support agents, from time to time, write custom codes to fulfill customer requests.

Once, we got another ticket about a dynamic integration between two of our products. And the request came in multiple layers.

Hi, I am ruining a multi-user-based site, and recently I purchased the Ninja table for my site. I bought this to list my users information in a single table. But after a few tries, I failed to do it. Can you help me?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We can help you with your issue. We will get back to you ASAP with a solution. Thanks a lot for being with us.

Our support agent needed to create a table from the site’s SQL data that contained user information.

It was an easy fix. Ninja Table has that feature built-in. Our expert agent wrote a few lines of script to pull users’ information. It created a table from SQL data.

The tickets continue.

Now I can see all the users’ information in a single table. But now I want to display only logged-in user information in the table. The rest of the user’s information should be hidden for that user.

Sure, we can do that for you.

So, the support agent created a custom shortcode to embed the table on the display page. That custom shortcode restricted other users’ information to the logged-in user.

But the client came to our support team again.

Hi, I’m very happy with the output. But now I need one more thing from you. I need another column in the table with a form link in it. If a customer clicks on it, it will open a new page with the form on it. And I need it to be prefilled with the information from the table. I don’t want my customer to fill out the form again.

We can certainly help you with this. Our engineers will get into it and get back to you soon with a solution.

Our support team has two challenges in solving this ticket.

A table created using SQL data has a limitation. You cannot add a new column to the table without touching the SQL data. Altering SQL data is not a good idea at all. So, adding a new column in the table with a form link is difficult.
Pull the data from the table to prefill a form with logged-in users data. And then make the prefilled input box uneditable.

Our team starts with the first challenge. We cannot create a new column without altering the SQL data. But then they figured out a way to replace particular data with the desired data. And in this case, the desired data is the form page link.

So, they used a column from the SQL data set that did not have important information. Using the custom scripting, they replaced the SQL-pushed data with the form page link. Part one is solved.

For the second challenge, our team used Fluent Form. They integrate the Fluent form with the Ninja table. With the help of some custom scripting, they were able to pull the data from the table into the form’s input box.

The client was really happy with the outcome. Just because of this service, the client bought all of our products. And there is no need to mention that the client became one of our advocates.

Story #3: Ninja Table

Customers can show you totally different use cases for your product. This particular story is the best example of this statement.

Hi, I am using your Ninja Table plugin on my site. I need to link a Google Sheet with the plugin. Is it possible?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We have a built-in integration facility for Google Sheets in the table settings.

At this point, the WP Manage Ninja team sent a step-by-step video tutorial to show how to do the integration. and the client was happy with this.

But shortly after that, clients connected with our support team again with multiple queries.

I need your help to customize the table. I want to make it look different from a regular table. Specifically, I want to hide the header and border and resize the columns and rows. I also want to know if I can apply custom styling to the data from the Google Sheet and if an image inserted in the Google Sheet will appear in the table. So somehow, I don’t want it to look like a table.

Thanks again for connecting with us. All of your requests are possible. However, it would be helpful if we could have access to the site table on your site. This would allow us to provide you with a better suggestion.

The client shared a link to the site with the support team. The whole team was a bit confused.

Customer's site image - customer service case study

Hi again. Thanks a lot for sharing the site link with us. But we may need a little more information about the site. And please specify where you want to put the final table. Also, can you please give us a link to the actual table?

I gave you the link to the table.

We are very sorry; you just gave us a site link. We cannot see any tables here.

That is the table.

May you please elaborate? What do you mean by that?

I made a full website using your table builder plugin.

After some inspection of the site, our agent realized our client had made a fully functional website using our table builder plugin. We were just amazed by this type of use case.

website made by a table builder - customer service case study

The client also linked the table with a Google Sheet, which we helped them with previously. This means that they do not need to log in to the WordPress dashboard to change any data.

Google Sheet linked with client's site - customer experience case study

The client can simply make changes to the Google Sheet from their phone, and our table plugin will automatically update the data on the site.

This is so far one of the most unique and clever use cases we have seen for any of our products.

Takeaways customer service case studies

Up until now, we have shared six different customer service case studies. But these are not just stories. These case studies tell us what excellent service is. It teaches us how we can go the extra mile and how it can impact our customers.

Essential qualities of the best customer service reps

So, here are a few takeaways from these case studies:

Be responsive. Respond to the customer, even if it’s a tweet. Be quick and efficient.
Be helpful. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Personalization matters in customer relations. A good gesture could be to send customers gratitude notes that have been carefully crafted to suit their tastes. You can design cards , for instance, which gives you ample room for creativity and personal touch. Even when they don’t know it’s not required. This could mean offering advice, making recommendations, or just listening.
Be transparent. Be honest with customers, even when it’s not good news. Customers always appreciate a direct response, even when they are angry.
Be personal. Take the time to get to know the customer’s individual needs. This will help you provide more personalized service. Which will make them feel special.
Be human. Don’t hold your personality back; let your human side shine through. Show that you care about the customer and their experience. This could mean using humor, being empathetic, or just being yourself. The personal level of connection is effortless. This will make your service seamless.
Go the extra mile. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Whether you need to write custom code, provide training, or even just be a sounding board, let it be.
Be creative. If you can’t find a solution, that’s fine. Go out of the box and come up with a new one.
Be patient. Sometimes, it takes time to find the right solution that works. Be patient with customers and stay with them until they’re happy with it.
Be open-minded. Customers may use your product in ways that you never intended. Be open to new ideas.
Be impressed. Be amazed by the imagination and creativity of your clients. When you see customers using your product in a unique way, make sure to let them know how impressed you are.

Final thoughts

Being a tech support specialist or service agent is a challenging job, no doubt. A customer can come up with any type of issue. Hance, the service providers have to be sound enough to deal with any surprises.

The service-dependent industries are constantly facing a variety of cases every day. That’s why customer service case studies are a must-read for support and service providers. And, on the other hand, these stories can bring in new customers.

Start off with a powerful ticketing system that delivers smooth collaboration right out of the box.

Md. Ariful Basher

Hi, this is Abir, a web designer and full-time content writer passionate about psycho-thrillers and sci-fi. I focus on creating captivating content and visually stunning websites, ensuring a top-notch customer experience. Also, a food enthusiast!

GCP VS AWS: The Best Cloud Development Platform

Use WordPress Slider Plugin to Make Your Website Captivating

Customer Service Automation – How to Save Time & Delight Customers

WordPress Admin Dashboard: A Complete Walkthrough

Disney Four Keys Of Successful Customer Service You Should Adopt

Top Customer Experience (CX) Conferences

Top Customer Experience Conference to Attend in 2024

Broadband TV News

Independent. Since 2003

Disney goes green in logo refresh

March 28, 2024 13.20 Europe/London By Julian Clover

Disney+ has been given a makeover with its now familiar logo now displayed in teal and white.

The curve that links the letter D with the + symbol has also been refined. The gradient has been replaced with a solid line.

There’s also a new orchestral mnemonic created by Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson.

The branding has gone largely unchanged since the streaming service went live on November 12, 2019.

At that point the logo was seen in royal blue and white. The new teal colour comes as the streamer prepares to offer US subscribers access to Hulu, which has now been brought under the Disney umbrella. Hulu’s adopted colour is also green, giving Disney opportunity to work with an extended colour palette.

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

About Julian Clover

Julian Clover is a Media and Technology journalist based in Cambridge, UK. He works in online and printed media. Julian is also a voice on local radio. You can talk to Julian on Twitter @julianclover , on Facebook or by email at [email protected] .

Logos & Pictures
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions

Advertising

Terms & Conditions
Mechanical Data
Video Services
Central & East Europe
Terrestrial
Events Diary
Submit the details of your event
Media Meet & Greet

Connect with Us

Humana saved $50 million thanks to improving customer service and reducing staff turnover.

0" ng-bind-html="tileitem.title | trusted">locations.

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.briefDescription | trusted">Louisville, Kentucky, US

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.title | trusted">Business Type

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.briefDescription | trusted">Small Business Division; 40,000 Associates

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.title | trusted">Industry

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.briefDescription | trusted">Insurance & Healthcare

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.title | trusted">Focus

0" ng-bind-html="tileItem.briefDescription | trusted">Customer Service & Work Culture

In 2006, health insurance and health services provider Humana was challenged with a variety of customer and employee problems that were costing the company both time and money, including the following:

The small business division was losing 7,000 members a month due to service issues
Service was unacceptable
Retention rates were at their lowest
Poor service and customer complaints fueled each other

Humana saw significant improvements in customer satisfaction and cost-savings:

Increased number of Humana associates by 37.5% in 10 years
Improving customer service and staff retention resulted in a $50 million cost reduction
Claims rework dropped from 8.7% to 5.6%
Call center volumes decreased by almost 15% (nearly 2 million calls)
Employee satisfaction rose by 25%
Retention also improved, resulting in reduced staff turnover rates
As of 2017, return on investment reached $28 million

The Disney Institute Approach

Humana executives turned to Disney Institute for guidance on how to make their business a more customer-focused company that would also be a great place to work.

Disney Institute conducted a "Perfect Service Summit" for Humana executives and managers to help them understand any weak points in their business model. Attendees saw quality service in action and discovered the following insights:

The key drivers of customer satisfaction are not products, but people
Outstanding customer service drives repeat business and customer loyalty

A Perfect Service model was embedded into its corporate culture. As a result:

Within 8 months, the Perfect Service Experience program was rolled out to 10,000 associates, from the front line to executive leaders
Employees were recognized for their individual efforts
Front-line associates were empowered, encouraged to solve issues and speak up when something wasn't right
Associates began anticipating possible issues during initial contact with customers, which dramatically increased the level of service and satisfaction

Through this work with Disney Institute, our people get to really learn from the experts about culture and the ways to implement that culture. It's not just sitting and listening in a conference room. It's getting out in the field and seeing how it's done.

Lessons Learned

Disney's best practices helped Humana executives realize their approach to service had not really been customer-focused as they intended. Humana needed to make an organization-wide commitment to achieving a higher standard.

Humana changed the way they did things based on Disney insights. It would take teamwork—everyone pulling together—to reach the next level.

Associates once viewed 5-million customer complaints as issues to handle, but now they are seen as 5 million opportunities to reflect the theme of Perfect Service.

Related Case Studies

The state's only private, non-profit pediatric medical facility had mediocre patient satisfaction, a continuous employee attrition and difficulty recruiting key staff positions. Short-term fixes did not work. ACH leadership decided to enlist Disney Institute for help.

This California hospital suffered from higher than average employee turnover, low to average patient satisfaction scores and the threat of a new competitor. Management enlisted Disney Institute to help improve customer service and new-hire training.

Call us to discuss which services would best fit your needs, Monday–Friday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM Eastern Time.

About Disney Institute
Core Expertise
Course Accreditations
Case Studies
Testimonials
ODP Business Solutions Sponsorship
Advisory Services
Enterprise Access
Meetings & Conventions
Professional Development Courses
Entrepreneurs
Professionals
Emerging Professionals
Meeting Planners
Course Calendar
Group Registration
Veterans Institute Summit
Disney Data and Analytics Conference
Disney Institute Blog
MyDI Dashboard
MyDI Profile
Terms Of Use
Legal Notices
Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Children's Online Privacy Policy
Your US State Privacy Rights
Interest-Based Ads

IMAGES

How Disney Empowers Its Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer
Disney’s Customer Service Excellence + FISH!
Disney's Customer Service Excellence + FISH! Workshop
8 Essential Lessons To Learn From The Disney Customer Service Model
Customer Service Case Study: Disney Apologies
Customer Service- The Disney Way

VIDEO

Ursula’s Next Customer #cartoon #disney #thelittlemermaid #comedy
Doing it like Disney! Customer Service Excellence EXPERIENCE
Portakabin
MagicMakers Group "Untold Disney Customer Service Stories" Livestream

COMMENTS

5 Lessons From Disney's Magical Customer Experience
When it comes to creating an amazing customer experience, all companies can learn from the Happiest Place on Earth. Disney and its theme parks have created a passionately loyal fan base, welcoming ...
How to Approach Customer Service Like Disney
Let's dive into the Disney customer service model and discover what B2B/B2C companies can learn from it. Disney Customer Service Model. ... For an in-depth overview on these key points, check out our video case study on Disney here. Besides the four key basics, Disney also has seven service guidelines: Be Happy - make eye contact and smile. ...
3 Principles Disney Uses to Enhance Customer Experience
1. Create an organizational common purpose. The essential foundation on which all other service decisions can be developed, a common purpose is a succinct explanation of what you want the customer ...
How Disney Empowers Its Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
For nearly three decades, Disney Institute has helped professionals positively impact their organizations and the customers they serve by focusing on key topics such as customer experience ...
5 Lessons to be Learned from Disney's *Magical* Customer Strategy
1. Highly trained and engaged employees. To ensure employees live by their common purpose, Disney uses a set of quality standards that assists employees through the decision-making process. This ...
Disney: A Case Study in Customer Experience Perfection
Disney: A Case Study in Customer Experience Perfection. A 70% return rate for first-time customers would be impressive for the most visited business near your home, let alone a theme park. Somehow, " The Most Magical Place on Earth " can attain just that. Walt Disney, the man behind making it all happen, took a more objective approach when ...
5 Lessons Learned from Be Our Guest: The Art of Disney's Customer Service
The revised and updated edition of Be Our Guest is a book written by the Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni, and shares how to perfect the art of customer service.. Be Our Guest outlines the specific processes and practices The Walt Disney Company uses to ensure every guest who visits a Disney property or product is left feeling impressed, satisfied, and happy.
How Disney Encourages Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
About Disney Institute. As the trusted, authoritative voice on the Disney approach to customer experience, Disney Institute uses business insights and time-tested examples from Disney parks and ...
5 Lessons Retailers Can Learn from Disney's Customer Strategy
Case studies Stories and results from some of the companies using eduMe; ... — the modern consumer is more impatient than ever. In fact, 70% of customers are only willing to wait 15 minutes for a service. Disney responded with a number of practical solutions. ... Applying Disney's customer experience principles to retail Invest and optimize ...
Taking Direction From Disney's Customer-Care Philosophy
The compass figures prominently into the Disney philosophy of customer service ("Guestology"). Here are the four key points of its customer-care beliefs.
PDF Transforming the theme park customer experience: Focusing on Disney's
This research reviews case studies from Disney's MyMagic+, the IoT (internet of things)-based touchless service launched by Disney, and classifies customers' experience into three factors: convenience, personalization, and operation. As a conclusion, Disney's MyMagic+ offers differentiated services according to the customer experience ...
6 Ways Disney World delivers top customer experiences
Below are six lessons we can learn about customer experience from Disney. Related: Customer experience design toolkit. 1. Top-down CX/EX approach. On the first day of Disney training, employees are taught that their purpose, regardless of position, is to create happiness. Bruce Jones, Senior Director, Disney Institute, said "When our Cast ...
How Disney Creates Magical Experiences (and a 70% Return Rate)
Disney's ability to "wow" its fans and captivate customers for decades is explored in depth in Be Our Guest, a veritable handbook for Disney magic. Of all the facts featured within, perhaps the most surprising is the 70% return rate of first time Disney visitors. It's tough to overstate just how impressive that is, especially for a ...
Disney's Customer Experience Excellence
Key 4: Efficiency. Run the events smoothly without inconveniences by managing the activities efficiently. Disney constantly thinks about the ways its customers can have the time of their life without unnecessary hassle. The company knows that eliminating bureaucracy and eliminating inefficiency will eliminate the frustration of the customer.
Disney Customer Service 101: Why Courtesy Is Not Always Our First
To support this decision-making process, adventure guides are trained on Disney's Four Keys Basics, in priority order: Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency. This training ensures that adventure guides fully understand that Safety is always the number one concern and priority—everything else, including Courtesy, falls in line after it. Read ...
Disney: A Case Study in Customer Experience Perfection
Disney: A Case Study in Customer Experience Design Perfection. A 70% return rate for first-time customers would be impressive for the most visited business near your home, let alone a theme park. Somehow, " The Most Magical Place on Earth " can attain just that. Walt Disney, the man behind making it all happen, took a more objective ...
Customer Service Case Study: Disney Apologies
Customer Service Case Study: Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company is one of the most well known examples of a company succeeding in large measure by applying the principles of customer advocacy and service recovery—principles that have become an integral part of Disney's operations. Prior to starting his own company, Integrated Loyalty ...
Designing Disney Springs: How Place Impacts Customer Experience
In 2013, when the re-imagining of Florida's Downtown Disney into Disney Springs began, certainly the concept of "place" was an important consideration in designing the Guest experience. Going far beyond the scope of a traditional retail expansion, the project not only includes the addition of new shops and restaurants, but also rich details ...
The Streaming Wars: Disney+ and the Winning Strategy
Getty Images. On November 12, Disney launched its long-awaited streaming service Disney Plus. Though the company boasts unparalleled brand recognition and enormous capital — as evidenced by the ...
6 Interesting Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You
Zappos. Zappos has a good reputation for providing the best customer support. And it has a lot of interesting customer service case studies. One particular service case created a lot of buzz in the market. Zappos's service agent talked with a customer for 10 hours in one call. And, surprisingly, Zappos took it in a positive way.
Case Study: Disneyland Service
Customer Service the Disney Way Carmine Gallo Senior Contributor I just returned from the Happiest Place on Earth in a foul mood. I'm not mad at Disneyland. As always they did everything right, providing an exceptionally magical experience for my family. I'm angry at other customer-facing merchants and businesses who fail to do the simplest ...
Barclays Center
Brooklyn native Jay Z christened the facility with 8 sold-out concerts. The Brooklyn Nets' new home was a source of community pride, and the National Hockey League's New York Islanders started to call Barclays Center home in 2015. The Disney Institute Approach. Senior leadership from the Brooklyn Nets, AEG and Levy Restaurants began work with ...
Disney goes green in logo refresh
Exclusive Case Study: Learn how Orange has bet on Dolby technologies to build customer loyalty with a premium offering. Picture and sound quality increase Orange user engagement, increasing their ...
Humana
Humana saw significant improvements in customer satisfaction and cost-savings: Increased number of Humana associates by 37.5% in 10 years. Improving customer service and staff retention resulted in a $50 million cost reduction. Claims rework dropped from 8.7% to 5.6%. Call center volumes decreased by almost 15% (nearly 2 million calls)