How May I Help You?

Don Robinson

Senior Vice President, Resort Operations
Walt Disney World Co.
Lake Buena Vista, Florida

One of the most important things that we train staff members to do is service recovery. That's when you walk into a situation and you can tell that something has gone wrong -- and you do whatever it takes to fix the problem. That's also an opportunity for what we call a "magic moment."

We once had a family that wanted to celebrate a child's birthday at a "character breakfast" -- a buffet in which Disney characters mingle with guests, sign autographs, and pose for photographs. But this family was late and didn't make the seating. The next show was scheduled for lunch, which was also booked. Members of the family were sitting on a bench outside the restaurant, waiting for an opening, when one of our employees walked by and saw that these people were not happy campers.

The employee found out what the problem was and said, "Let me see what I can do." He was able to get them into the lunch show, seat them right up front, and make sure that the birthday boy's favorite character sang "Happy Birthday" to him and that all of the characters danced around the family's table. That was a magic moment -- a quick recovery from what could have been a very disappointing birthday.

The best part? The employee who did that recovery was a custodian -- a guy just walking by with a broom, sweeping up cigarette butts. But all of our employees, from janitors and dishwashers to hotel managers, know they have the ability -- and the responsibility -- to improve the experience of any guest.

Don Robinson (don.robinson@disney.com) has worked at Disney for 28 years. Today, he is responsible for the operation of 14 resort hotels (comprising a total of 21,000 rooms) at Walt Disney World. Among the themed hotels that he oversees are a wilderness lodge, an all-star sports resort, and a Polynesian-style facility that features Peter Pan's "Neverland Club" for children.

Hans Peter Brondmo

Chairman and Founder
Post Communications Inc.
San Francisco, California

When you think about it, establishing a service relationship online isn't all that different from starting a dating relationship. The problem is that a lot of Internet companies approach their first date with a list of 20 questions: "Could you please fill out this three-page form about your income, family history, and medical background?" Imagine if that were the first question that a prospective romantic interest asked you! It's absurd to expect people to respond to such questions before you've established a certain level of trust with them.

Instead, what if you started by asking a customer three or four little questions? After establishing that this potential "date" is interested in what you have to offer, you and this customer could begin sharing information back and forth. One of our clients, a San Francisco startup called myplay, is wooing customers with a similar approach. The site is an online personal storage locker for customers' favorite music. When you first sign up, myplay sends you a few preliminary questions. Then, using your answers to those questions, it customizes your locker. The site asks you a few more questions each time it contacts you. Over time, the company gets to know you, and you get to know -- and to trust -- the company.

It's Human Psychology 101, and the rules are no different in the Internet space from what they are anywhere else. You must establish a certain level of trust: You need to prove to me that you're not going to misuse any of my information, and then you need to show me that you'll deliver service and value in return -- and then I'll tell you more.

Hans Peter Brondmo (brondmo@postdirect.com) founded Post Communications Inc. in 1996.