3 principles Disney uses to keep its customers happy

© Disney

By Bruce Jones, Senior Programming Director, Disney Institute

Walt Disney once said, “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”



In today’s increasingly competitive, global economy, Walt’s advice is more important than ever. No longer is it good enough to simply offer good value, or a great product alone. While these will always be necessary conditions for success, today they are simply the ante to get in the game!

In fact, in order to truly continue to stand apart from your competition, today’s biggest business opportunity could very well be your organization’s ability to consistently deliver an exceptional customer experience (CX).

CX can be a game-changer—one that spans across all industries and organizations. In fact, the recent Conference Board CEO Challenge 2017 survey shows that CEOs clearly understand the need to be more customer-centric, “Today, companies compete as much on customer experience as they do on product and price.”

At Disney, we’ve been striving to perfect our customer experience over the many decades since Walt Disney founded the company – attempting to do things so well that our guests want to come back and see us do it again and again. And, CX continues to be something our leaders think about each and every day. That’s why we’ll spend three days this May at the Disney Institute Customer Experience Summit, with business professionals from around the world who are equally focused on delivering exceptional CX.

So, how can you and your organization start to think differently about refining your CX? Here are three Disney principles that any organization can leverage to achieve their own CX goals.

1. Create an organizational common purpose

The essential foundation on which all other service decisions can be developed, a common purpose is a succinct explanation of what you want the customer experience to be at the emotional level. It represents to all employees what you stand for and why you exist, and it is the primary tool for getting everyone “on the same page.” 

2. Understand your customers holistically

Your knowledge of the customer must extend far beyond the boundaries of traditional service criteria. Truly understanding their needs, wants, and expectations is key to creating personalized interactions. As we have found, listening posts provide a customer-centric mechanism that companies can use to assess the customer experience and immediately identify areas where customer expectations are (or are not) being met and exceeded.

3. View exceptional service as an economic asset, rather than an expense

The return on investment associated with lifetime customer relationships often justifies the short-term costs associated with designing and delivering exceptional service experiences.

In times of significant change, stronger innovators inevitably outperform their peers, so keep an eye on the future and ensure your customer experience does not become a commodity.

Think about it, how big are your organization’s customer experience goals?

Do you aspire higher? Join us at the Disney Institute Customer Experience Summit, May 23-26, 2017, and learn new ideas and time-tested principles for delivering exceptional CX from one of the world’s most trusted brands.

 This post is sponsored by Disney Institute.