If you’re in your first job, or about to start one, this is going to be your competitive advantage to help you stand out. These aren’t hard-to-learn skills or ones that takes years to master. These are simple, realistic customer service habits that I learned at my first job at Walt Disney World that you can start using today regardless of your role. Do them consistently, and your leaders and co-workers will notice. Do them well, and you won’t stay entry-level for long. Tip 1: Learn Names What it means: Remembering and using someone&r [...]

What Is a Service Safari and Why Every Business Leader Needs One I'm about to tell you about a problem that frustrated thousands of Disney guests. And it's something that could've been prevented with a simple walk in the customer's shoes. Picture this: families leaving Disney at night, exhausted but happy, talking about their magical day... then suddenly freezing with that deer-in-the-headlights look. Why? They couldn't find their cars in a sea of 14,000 vehicles . The original Disneyland parking lot was a customer experience nightm [...]

Great customer service can be very hard to define. Right? You know it when you get it, but more importantly, you know it when you don't Most businesses are completely missing the boat on this. They think great customer service has to be some massive, expensive gesture that requires moving mountains. Dead wrong. What Is Great Customer Service? The truth is, the most powerful customer service experiences are often the simplest ones. The little moments that cost practically nothing but create customers for life. I'm about to share 5 real-wor [...]

What if I told you that one of the cleanest, most magical Disney parks in the world… is in Tokyo? I recently visited DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland with my family, and I was blown away. Not just by how beautiful the parks are, but by how familiar they felt. The smiles, the service, the magic… it all felt just as consistent as what you'd experience in Florida or California. So how does Disney pull that off across languages, countries, and cultures? That's exactly what I'm breaking down today. The Tokyo Disney Experience: A Masterclass in Consi [...]

From wearing a gold miner's costume on Big Thunder Mountain to consulting with Fortune Global 500 companies... The journey sounds unlikely, doesn't it? But here's what I've discovered: The principles that create magic at Disney work everywhere. Even in your industry. But That's Disney... This Is the Real World Now I get you might be a little skeptical, so let me address some of the pushback I receive from clients who are also skeptical. I'll often hear: "That's Disney, Danny. This is the real world." "We're not an entertainment company." [...]

The $8 Trillion Customer Experience Transformation in Financial Services Have you ever wondered what would happen if CEOs actually experienced their own customer service? Not through reports or dashboards, but by picking up the phone themselves? Well, that's exactly what led to one of the most remarkable transformations in financial services history. When Walt Bettinger, then CEO of Charles Schwab, decided to mystery shop his own company's service, he wasn't preparing for a board presentation or following some corporate protocol. He was simply curious about what his customers [...]

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From guest blogger, Danny Snow. The big question on everyone's mind lately is whether AI will replace human jobs, particularly in customer service. I think we should be asking a different question altogether: Should AI replace customer service? The answer, based on recent data, is a resounding no. I recently came across a survey done by Kinsta (https://kinsta.com/blog/ai-vs-human-customer-service/) that revealed some eye-opening statistics that every business owner needs to pay attention to: • 94% o [...]

Every frustration voiced by your customer is an invaluable insight into their needs. For business owners, ignoring these frustrations can risk losing trust, loyalty, and revenue. However, when addressed effectively, these same pain points can serve as springboards to create memorable experiences and turn dissatisfied customers into lifelong advocates. There’s no shortage of customer frustrations out there. Very often, you find that as soon as you solve one, another pops up. What separates mediocre businesses from industry leaders is their ability to consistently identify and address their customers' bigg [...]

There was a time when going the extra mile felt revolutionary. Businesses that exceeded expectations stood out in their industries. But today? The landscape has shifted. Customer expectations have continually risen, and delivering excellent service alone won’t cut it anymore. If you want to win hearts and keep your customers coming back, you have to go WAY beyond the extra mile. During my career, I've seen firsthand how businesses that refuse to settle for "good service" are the ones that thrive. They see opportunities to wow their customers, whereas others see the bare minimum. But how do they do this? [...]

Our family loves theme parks, and it’s been a joy watching our kids become thrill-ride junkies over the years. Given our background, it’s no surprise that Disney parks hold a special place in our hearts. Both my parents built long careers there, my brother and I worked there too, and many of our family members have been part of Disney’s story. On top of that, we are annual pass holders and spend an unreasonable amount of time and money in the parks year after year.   [...]

Customer expectations are higher than ever, and a recent study shows that 77% of customers expect to interact with someone immediately when they reach out to a company. That comes from Salesforce’s most recent State of the Connected Customer survey conducted in 2023. Why Being the First to Respond Matters Another survey conducted by Lead Connect shows that close to 80% of customers purchase from the company that responds to their inquiry first. Building Customer Loyalty Through Responsive Service Once customers actually make a purchase, Khoros found t [...]

A common phrase that gets thrown around by a lot of professional speakers and consultants when it comes to the topic of customer service is that it’s simple and not “rocket science.” And while being nice to people, and saying things like “please” and “thank you” are simple, the fact is that it can be very challenging to consistently deliver a high level of service. In a recent LinkedIn post, I observed that customer service isn’t rocket science. An old family friend and former Disney cast member, Duncan Dickson, shared a story from a training session he was at with Jim C [...]

This post comes from guest blogger, Danny Snow. Last week, we faced one of the hardest moments a pet owner can experience – saying goodbye to our beloved 17-year-old cat, Leo. He had been sick for a while and our veterinarian was unable to do anything more to help him. After a lot of thought and discussion, we found a pet hospice company that would come to our house and help us as we said goodbye to Leo. This was an incredibly tough decision but we found solace in the compassionate care provided by Lap of Love (www.lapoflove.com), an organization ded [...]

This post comes from guest blogger, Danny Snow. As a customer experience speaker, I often share how the smallest interactions can impact a customer's perception of a brand. It can be in negative or positive ways. A recent experience at a bowling alley brought this to light in an unexpectedly vivid way. While enjoying an afternoon of bowling with my son, a seemingly minor interaction on the lane next to us caught my attention. A young man who was in his mid-20s was there with his girl [...]

This post comes from guest blogger, Danny Snow. In today's digital age, where alternative options are just a click away, it's the subtleties of the customer experience that make or break loyalty. Let's not underestimate the power of getting the "small" things right. I’ve been a customer with a popular roadside assistance company for about 20 years now. Fortunately, I’ve only needed to use their services a handful of times and it was always a positive experience. Recently, however, I had an experience with them that perfectly captures a common challenge many customers face when dealing with [...]

Recently I took my car in for an oil change and went to meet with the salesman that I leased the car with back in early 2020 (right before COVID hit). I really liked him upon first meeting him and felt that he and the dealership provided great customer service to me along the way whenever I had a service appointment. Knowing my lease was coming to an end, I wanted to talk about purchasing the car at the end of the term. With car prices (especially used car prices) having gone crazy the past couple of years, it made a lot more sense to buy this one rather than turn it in and buy or lease something else. Plus, I love th [...]

This post comes from guest blogger, Danny Snow. If you have ever been in a taxicab, you likely know that it’s not a very glamorous mode of transportation. They’re rarely clean, drivers aren’t typically very friendly and the entire experience can be frustrating. Which is why rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft were able to come in and disrupt the entire industry.  For the past 10 years or so, I don’t believe I’ve even been in a taxi and I certainly haven’t missed them. Recently, I was forced into a situation where I needed to take a taxi and it was an u [...]

My friend and colleague Chip Bell is a legend in the customer service world. He recently came out with a wonderful new book, Inside Your Customer's Imagination. I highly re [...]

There is no doubt that right now is the best time to deliver a great customer experience and the absolute worst time to deliver a poor one. With that in mind, this video by guest blogger Danny Snow shares two very different haircut experiences he and his family recently experienced that highlight key service principles that apply to any organization. [...]

Today's post comes from guest blogger, Danny Snow. A powerful message that applies to any organization.    A Tale of Two Haircuts It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... There is no doubt that right now is the best time to deliver a great customer experience and the absolute worst time to deliver a poor one.   With that in mind, let me tell you about two very different haircut experiences my family has had over the past week. Experience #1: Last week I decided to try and cut my own hair as I wanted to wait one more cycle bef [...]

“This book teaches how to show empathy, pay attention to detail, have fun, go the extra mile, and listen to your customers - all things that cost nothing to deliver but say, “we care,” which is the most important message you can send.”-Dave Baca, Law Offices of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP The other day I happened to be looking through my dad’s book, “Lessons From The Mouse,” and I noticed the above quote that he used as a testimon [...]

Oftentimes when you are proposing a customer experience improvement initiative for your organization, or you are even in the middle of implementing the plan, some skeptics demand hard data. "Do you have numbers to back up this effort?" "What proof do you have that this initiative will add to our bottom line?" "How can you quantify something as subjective as the customer experience?" You don't want to meet these questions with a blank stare. Fortunately, my guest blogger, Reuben Yonatan, founder and CEO of GetVolp,  has put together a remarkably thorough infographic that c [...]

Guest blogger Danny Snow shares an inspiring story about how a wow customer experience paid off two years later for a retailer. Customer focus combined with patience can truly pay off! How Little Wows Add Up To A Big Saleby Danny Snow For as long as I can remember, my father has preached the importance of the little wows in business. His 20-year Disney career ingrained that service principle into his brain and it ha [...]

Customer Contact Week Nashville is coming up soon - January 15-18, 2019. Lots of great sessions, all focused on improving the customer experience. In preparation for the meeting, the conference organizers have produced several excellent articles. They offered to be a guest blogger on my site, and you'll find a thought-provoking and actionable article below. 4 Easy Ways To Achieve Difficult Customer Contact Goals Making for a jointly admirable and problematic reality, the customer contact commu [...]

In preparation for their upcoming conference in Austin, Texas, Customer Contact Week (CCW) has published an excellent article, "Customer Empathy: Your Secret Weapon for World-Class Customer Service." It's definitely worth checking out.   [...]

I hope you enjoy this guest post from Monika Götzmann of Miller Heiman Group. Why Your Customer Service Should Influence Customer Engagement - by Monika Götzmann Engaged customers are extremely valuable, and can be described as those who have a personal connection to a brand. Research from Rosetta found that engaged customers spend 60 percent more per transaction, while they are also three times more likely to recommend a product to a friend, according to the Harvard Business Review. [...]

My guest blogger today is Ron Kaufman, founder of Up Your Service! College. In this post he writes about a subject near and dear to my heart: it's usually the little courtesies and gestures that have the biggest impact on the customer experience. I can relate to the hotel experience he shares. Like Ron, I don't really need a huge and ornate hotel room. But I do appreciate a room that is well thought out through the lens of the guest. (And I've always wondered how some hotels do the mirror thi [...]

My guest blogger today is Meredith Estep, Vice President of Client Services with Unitiv. Unitiv is a provider of IT solutions based in Alpharetta, Georgia. You can find Meredith's regular blog posts at Intelligent Help Desk Blog. I've followed Meredith's writing for some time, and I'm always impressed with how she [...]