Listen to Your Guests
Important to providing great guest experiences is to listen to your guests. Listen to your guests–it seems like such an obvious thing. And it’s something that happens all the time at Disney. There are two ways to do that–quantitatively and qualitatively.
Don’t get lost by these terms. It’s really very simple. Let us give you two examples found in Disney parks. Have you ever been approached by a host or hostess in the parks to take a survey? They usually ask for your e-mail address, or they invite you to sit down and actually fill out a survey right then and there. Most of that information they are gathering is quantitative in nature. They want to know how many and which rides and attractions you’ve been on. They may ask you how much did you enjoy the parade. They want to crunch those numbers, because it helps them to make decisions about where to put resources to improve the guest experience.
On the other side of the spectrum is qualitative data. This is usually comments made by guests about their experience. Some of this is done formally, but much of it is done informally. Did you ever stop at City Hall? Many people who visit that location are usually in search of an answer to a problem. Well-trained cast members, who speak many languages, are available to answer any number of questions, or to direct guests to where they can get help.
Some people stop by to more formally express thanks for something that had happened to them in the park. Still, some may drop in to express their frustration. Those individuals may have been frustrated that they had to wait so long in line, or that they had to spend so much money in the park, or that a cast member was inappropriate or rude. Sometimes they’re not simply frustrated, they’re ticked–and very upset. In our next entry, we’ll talk about what happens in those instances. But the important thing is that successful customer service happens when you listen to your guests. Ask yourself:
- How do you listen to your guests quantitatively?
- How do you listen to your guests qualitatively?
- How do you act on that information?
Whether you provide a listening ear, or whether you have a big survey, what matters is that you’re taking the time to listen to your guests.
Do you like these ideas about great guest service at Disney? Then you may want to check out my exhaustive look at the guest experience at Disney. The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney is available on Amazon. Be sure to take a look.
