Posted on September 10, 2025 by Danny Snow
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 nightmare waiting to happen. Families would stand there thinking, "We're going to have to wait until every car is gone and ours is the only one left."
It wasn't until Disney leaders literally walked through the end-of-day journey themselves that they saw the flaw: there was nothing memorable guiding people back.
That's when they created character-based row markers like Mickey, Goofy, and Dumbo. Now families could instantly recognize where they parked, and tram announcements reminded them multiple times.
One simple walk in their customers' shoes solved a massive problem.
And that, my friend, is the power of a Service Safari.
When was the last time you experienced your own business the way your customers do? Not reading reports or analyzing spreadsheets, but actually living the journey they live? Most leaders never do this. And that's exactly why blind spots happen every single day.
Customers don't leave you because your process is broken. They leave because of emotional disconnects you never even noticed.
A Service Safari is exactly what it sounds like, a journey through the wild. But instead of tracking lions in Africa, you're tracking customer emotions in your own business.
This is a FREE tool that you can access HERE.
Here's how it works:
Unlike mystery shopping where you're checking boxes, a Service Safari makes you feel feelings like a human being.
You notice when something feels confusing, even if it technically works. You catch moments when you feel rushed, ignored, or valued.
That emotional data? That's pure gold.
Customer experience breaks down in the micro-moments .
-Your website might look gorgeous on your 27-inch office monitor, but what does it feel like on a phone while someone's standing in line at Starbucks?
-Your checkout process might seem logical to you because you designed it, but what's it like for a 65-year-old who's not tech-savvy?
-Your directional sign at your hospital makes sense to people who are there every day, but what does it feel like to someone who is nervously trying to find a family member that was just in an accident?
Here's what I've discovered: Customers rarely complain about the things that bother them most. They just... leave.
A Service Safari catches these silent killers before they kill your business.
But it also reveals your hidden superpowers. Those little moments where customers think "Wow, that was different" but never tell you about it.
Disney has been doing Service Safaris for decades. Walt Disney himself used to walk through Disneyland incognito, experiencing it like a guest.
Small observations. Massive impact.
Don't try to safari your entire business at once. Pick ONE specific scenario.
Be ridiculously specific:
The more specific you get, the more valuable insights you'll uncover.
This is where the magic happens. As you move through each touchpoint, capture three types of data:
1. Functional observations:
2. Emotional observations:
How did it FEEL?
3. Opportunity identification:
Don't overthink it in the moment. Just capture raw, honest reactions.
After the safari, gather your team and ask these questions:
Crucial part: Every safari MUST end with specific action steps. Who's going to do what by when?
Because a safari without action is just expensive tourism.
Here's what happens when you start doing regular Service Safaris:
They stop thinking like employees and start thinking like humans who have to navigate your business.
Instead of losing customers to death by a thousand paper cuts, you fix the cuts before they happen.
Those little things you do that customers love but you never realized were special.
Your team starts noticing customer experience everywhere, not just during official safaris.
I've seen companies increase customer satisfaction scores by 40% just from doing monthly Service Safaris.
Not because they made massive changes, but because they made dozens of small improvements that customers actually cared about.
The best part? This costs you nothing but time and attention.
No consultants. No software. No complex systems. Just the willingness to see your business through your customers' eyes.
Here's my challenge: Pick ONE customer scenario and experience it this week.
I guarantee you'll discover something that surprises you. Something you never noticed from the inside looking out.
Customer experience isn't built in boardrooms. It's built in the moments your customers live every single day.
And the only way to improve those moments is to live them yourself.
Your customers are on a journey through your business every day. The question is: are you brave enough to take that journey with them?
Download your FREE Service Safari tool now: https://snow-associates-inc.kit.com/f6b99b08ba
Start your first Service Safari this week and discover what your customers really experience when they interact with your business.
Danny Snow is a customer experience expert as well as a keynote speaker. You can connect with Danny on LinkedIn or email him at danny@snowassociates.com. You can also find additional material from Danny at https://snowassociates.com/blog and YouTube.