Have a Magical Day, Folks!
That?s what the lovely young gentleman said to my family and I as we exited the boat that brought us from EPCOT back to our hotel at the Dolphin Resort. It brought an instant smile to my face! It reminded me of the many moments of magic that we had experienced that day together?were there line-ups? crowds? moments of exhaustion from the heat? Yes! And, there were many magical moments!!
It got me thinking also about customer service. Walt Disney World knows service! Perhaps some of you have had less than stellar experiences there; mine have been mostly positive ? and many have been exceptional!
What is the secret to great customer service? I think it comes down to a few very simple things.
The first is ? to smile. I wrote a post about the contagion theory related to smiling in late 2008. When you smile, it not only affects others in a positive (contagious) way, it also affects you!! It?s something we all ?know?; even though we might not always remember to ?do? it. Want to feel better? Smile!! I was reminded recently of the power of a smile in a blog post by Christopher Peterson in Psychology Today. Dr. Peterson is among the most widely cited psychologists in the world, and he knows of which he speaks. Duchenne (genuine) smiles impact longevity! If we are talking about customer service, and the importance of customer satisfaction, and customer retention; I think increasing longevity is a very good thing!
The second simple thing for great customer service is ? greet people when you see them. Look them in the eye, smile, and show them in your greeting that you are glad they decided to patronize your business rather than someone else?s. The theme parks of Disney do this very well. Not only do they have several people greeting their visitors daily, they also greet you (and wish you a great ? or magical ? day) when you leave!! Some might argue that they don?t have to do this at all, as they have pretty well cornered the market on the whole Disney thing!! Yet, they do it?and it keeps us coming back!
The third simple principle is to listen to your customers. I know?these are simple, right? When I viewed this video on youtube the other day, I thought it really made the point. Watch this and ask yourself?Is this the kind of listening that is happening in our organization?
Every day I am reminded about the power of really listening. If you want to increase your sales, grow your career, increase your tips, engage your staff in your new initiative, have a better day, get more of what you want, influence others?all you have to do is listen more (and better!)
What kind of world would it be if?
– every teacher looked every child in the eye, smiled, and said ?I am glad you are here today??
– every CEO in the elevator looked away from the blackberry long enough to stop, smile and greet the employee standing beside him?
– every store clerk had a Duchenne smile that made you feel valued as a customer?
– every nurse served her patient just like she was being served by her supervisor ? with CARE?
Why don?t we find out?
Try these few, simple techniques tomorrow and tell me what difference you noticed (in your customers?and in your own energy!!)
And, finally?have a magical day, folks!
