Back Page: A Different Lens

When Dennis Snow worked at Disney, it could have been easy for him to come up with a snarky response when visitors would ask him, “What time is the 3 p.m. parade?”

You may even be chuckling to yourself just reading that question, but Snow knew better, and it’s one topic he spoke about in January at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“It’s a legitimate question if you’re seeing it through the lens of the customer,” he says.

He went on to explain that the Disney parades were very long, and by thinking like the customer asking that question, he knew that what they meant to ask was, “What time does the 3 p.m. parade arrive at this particular location?” When he can reframe the question through the eyes of that customer, he can then give that customer the response they’re looking for – and without making them feel stupid.

“When you as a company understand my lens, everything changes,” he says.

This approach to customer service is how Disney continues to attract people year after year.

“Rides are commodities,” says Snow. “The rides are great, but they can’t compete just on that.”

And it’s the same for the green industry. Your plants are great, but you can’t compete just on that. You have to be willing to service your customers in ways they want and need. What painful part of the buying process can you help ease for them?

In Snow’s case at Disney, what could be the worse part of the Disney experience for a visitor? Getting home after the fireworks. Parents are tired. Children are tired. Parents are cranky. Children are crankier. It’s late. It’s been a long, hot day. And then you can’t find your car. Even though the shuttle driver may have said at least five times on the ride in that morning, “Remember you’re parked in Goofy 33,” people forget. So Disney keeps track of what time of day each area of the parking lots fill up so when people get lost, a Disney employee can ask what time of day the family arrived, and cross-reference that with the parking list and help them find their car. Or if families are staying at the Disney resorts and are taking the Disney shuttles back to the resort, the bus drivers have trivia contests and sing-a-longs to keep the happiness and magic going.

And when families get back to their hotel rooms, they may find that the stuffed animals they purchased the day before have been tucked neatly into the covers by the maids, ready for bed as well, instead of laying on the floor.

All of these initiatives have helped create a better experience for Disney patrons – during the most difficult part of their experience. Snow says it’s important for companies to sit down and ask each other, “At each step, what would mediocre service look like, and what would excellent service look like?” Then brainstorm.

“If we’re brainstorming, ideas will just start coming out … and you’ll think, ‘Why haven’t we done this already?’” he says.

Dennis Snow is owner of Snow & Associates Inc. and previously worked at the Walt Disney World Co., an organization known for high customer service levels. He wrote the book “Lessons from the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life.”

For more: Snow & Associates Inc., www.snowassociates.com