Over Labor Day weekend last year, I embarked on a journey unlike any I had yet taken in my life—a visit to the House of Mouse, or Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. I had grown up like many others watching the Disney channel, taking in specials where our ambitious characters on the much anticipated ABC Friday Night TV block TGIF serials like “Boy Meets World” or “Family Matters” ventured on family vacations to Disney.
During my housing and summer conference years, I presented on the Disney keys to “magical” customer service for many years. But I was harboring a dark secret—I had never been to a Disney park or set sail on a Disney cruise myself. It would be many years later that I finally got a taste (literally—mmmmmmm Dole Whip) of Disney. I’m grateful to have had a weathered mouse veteran and fairy godmother in my good friend Liz of Liz Makes Magic. When I approached her with the idea of going to WDW for the first time, she opened her playbook and provided me with all of the insider tips, strategies, and tasty pit stops one could hope for on their own visit. When several rides went down mid-day on day 2 of our quick visit, she texted me an alternate route and game plan. In the end, we covered so much ground stemming from my excitement—all 4 parks in just 2 days. I can’t necessarily recommend that approach and look forward to a slow travel approach in subsequent visits, but I still got all of the magic I had hoped for during our trip.
Disney is known for its world-class customer service. Guests of Disney parks and resorts are treated like VIPs, and their experiences are carefully and thoughtfully crafted to be magical. As I was recently flipping through my photos and hanging up my ears for a little longer until our next visit for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween fun times in October, I thought that exploring Disney’s approach to customer service, storytelling, and preparation would be a worthwhile endeavor. There are a number of lessons that higher education institutions can learn from Disney’s customer service model.
Disney’s well-defined customer service model is based on four key principles:
- Safety: Disney’s priority is the safety of its guests. This is evident in everything from the way rides are designed to the way employees are trained.
- Courtesy: Disney employees are always polite and respectful to guests. They go out of their way to make sure that guests have a positive experience.
- Show: Disney parks and resorts are designed to create a magical experience for guests. This is achieved through attention to detail, creativity, and storytelling. Disney cast members also employ the concept of “on-stage” and “backstage” which even extends to the elaborate underground “Utilidor” tunnel system all cast members use. Think: Would you want to see Mickey taking a smoke break?
- Efficiency: Disney employees are efficient and organized. They can handle large crowds and unexpected events with ease.
These four principles can be applied to higher education to create a more positive and memorable student experience. Here are a few specific examples:
- Safety: Colleges and universities can focus on the safety of their students by providing well-lit walkways, security cameras, and emergency call boxes. They can also train staff on how to respond to safety incidents.
- Courtesy: Faculty and staff can be more courteous to students by greeting them by name, being respectful of their time, and responding promptly to their emails and questions.
- Show: Colleges and universities can create a more magical experience for students by decorating their campuses, hosting special events, and providing opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities.
- Efficiency: Colleges and universities can be more efficient by streamlining their administrative processes, using technology to automate tasks, and providing clear and concise instructions to students.
By incorporating the principles of Disney’s customer service model, colleges and universities can create a more positive and memorable student experience. This can lead to increased student satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates.
In addition to the four key principles, Disney also has a strong focus on employee training. Disney employees are not called employees but rather are referred to as “cast members” and each cast member is taught the importance of customer service from the day they are hired. They are also given the opportunity to participate in ongoing training that helps them stay up-to-date on the latest customer service trends.
This focus on employee training is essential for creating a positive customer service experience. When employees are well-trained, they are more likely to be able to anticipate and meet the needs of customers. They are also more likely to be able to handle difficult situations professionally and courteously. Further, Disney empowers cast members at all levels of the organization to be solution oriented. For example, if a cast member might see a small child drop their ice cream cone, they may be encouraged to approach the guests and offer to replace the rogue cone in rapid fashion.
Colleges and universities can learn from Disney’s example by investing in employee training. Faculty and staff should be trained on the importance of customer service and how to provide excellent service to students. This training should be ongoing so that faculty and staff can stay up-to-date on the latest customer service trends, particularly those that are most relevant for the unit or division.
By investing in employee training, colleges and universities can create a more positive and memorable student experience. This can lead to increased student satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates.
To recap a few of the magical lessons we have learned together thus far:
1. Focus on the customer. Disney puts the customer at the center of everything they do. They understand that the customer’s experience is everything, and they work hard to make sure that every guest is happy. Higher education institutions can do the same by focusing on the needs of their students. They should listen to student feedback, and they should be constantly looking for ways to improve the student experience.
2. Create a magical experience. Disney parks and resorts are designed to be magical places. They are full of wonder, excitement, and delight. During my visit, I was adorned with a “first visit” button, and on several occasions, I was “pixie dusted” as my friend Liz called it—or celebrated by cast members through little gestures such as putting us in the front seat of the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster or allowing us to move up in a line when they needed to fill a space on an open vehicle on the Kilimanjaro Safari.
Higher education institutions can create a magical experience for their students by providing them with a stimulating and supportive environment. They should offer a variety of extracurricular activities, and they should create a sense of community among students.
3. Empower employees. Disney employees are empowered to go above and beyond for guests. They are encouraged to be creative and to think outside the box. Higher education institutions can empower their faculty and staff by giving them the freedom to make decisions and take risks. They should also create a culture of appreciation, where employees feel valued and respected.
4. Train employees well. Disney employees receive extensive training in customer service. They learn how to interact with guests in a friendly and helpful way, and they learn how to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Higher education institutions can do the same by providing their faculty and staff with training in customer service. They should also create a culture of continuous learning, where employees are encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge.
5. Measure customer satisfaction. Disney regularly surveys guests to measure their satisfaction with the customer service they receive. This feedback is used to identify areas where Disney can improve. Higher education institutions can do the same by surveying students to measure their satisfaction with the overall student experience. This feedback can be used to identify areas where the institution can improve.
By following these lessons, higher education institutions can create a customer service experience that is just as magical as Disney’s. This will help to attract and retain students, and it will create a more positive and productive learning environment.
In addition to the above, here are some additional and specific ways that higher education institutions can apply Disney’s customer service model:
- Use storytelling to create a sense of wonder and excitement. Disney is a master of storytelling. They use stories to transport guests to other worlds and to create a sense of magic. Higher education institutions can do the same by using stories and mediums such as social media, bulletin boards/digital displays, and even old-school tactics like chalking to engage students and inspire them to learn.
- Personalize the student experience. Disney knows that every guest is different, and they tailor their experiences accordingly. Higher education institutions can do the same by personalizing the student experience. They can offer students a variety of course options, extracurricular activities, and support services to meet their individual needs. Faculty and staff can get to know students they see often by their first names and make an effort to remember a few key details from their interactions with students.
- Go the extra mile. Disney employees are always willing to go the extra mile for guests. They are not afraid to go above and beyond what is expected of them. Higher education institutions can do the same by encouraging and empowering their faculty and staff to go the extra mile for students. They can reward employees who go above and beyond, and they can create a culture where everyone is always looking for ways to help students succeed. At Disney, things like park cleanliness are seen as everyone’s job just as in higher education inclusive excellence, retention, and student success should be everyone’s mission as well.
By applying many of these magical Disney customer service strategies, higher education institutions can create a more magical and memorable learning experience for their residents and students. If you are interested in learning more about Disney’s approach, Disney even offers comprehensive training programs such as the Disney Institute.
