The Guest is Always Right
It’s one of the hardest things to admit, especially if you know deep down inside that you are right, not the Guest. This is the greatest lesson to learn when talking about Guest Relations because you can’t just say the Guest is right, you have to believe they are.
There are many examples of companies fostering the idea and belief that the Guest is always right, but I will focus on two different companies with very similar cultures. This shows that it doesn’t matter what business you are in, true Guest Service is rooted in every company’s success.
You cannot mention Guest Service and not mention the late Walt Disney, creator, visionary and owner of everything with the Disney name on it. To many, he is the pioneer of making people happy. If you have ever been to one of his parks, seen one of his movies, or had the privilege to work for the company yourself (as I have), then you know what I am talking about. Walt’s results were magical. He put a lot more than pixie dust behind his vision, a vision that is still carried on each and every day long after his passing.
The Walt Disney Company works very hard to ensure each Guest’s experience is a happy one. They focus on the little things to make a big difference. At Walt Disney World, there are Guest Relation Guidelines. Here are just a few of those guidelines.[1]
1. Make eye contact and smile!
2. Display appropriate body language at all times. It is the responsibility of every cast member to display approachable body language when on stage.
3. Preserve the “magical” guest experience! Always focus on the positive, rather than the rules and regulations.
4. Thank each and every guest. Extend every guest a sincere thank-you at the conclusion of every transaction. Extend every guest a thank-you or similar expression of appreciation as he/she leaves your area.
And those are just the beginning!
Have you heard of Tony Hsieh? If not, you apparently are not a woman who swears by shoes and handbags as therapy. Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos.com. Under his leadership, Zappos has grown gross merchandise sales from $1.6M in 2000 to $840M in 2007 by focusing relentlessly on customer service.[2] Tony and the Zappos team have done this by aligning the entire company, top to bottom, around one mission: to provide the best Guest Service possible.
It takes an entire team to create such a buzz around your Guest Service, so Tony created the “Zappos Culture”. He made sure as the company grew and they hired more people that they all fit into the culture. If they didn’t fit the culture, they didn’t get to stay.
Zappos Culture is based on Ten Core Values. These core values play a large part in how they hire, train and develop their employees:[3]
1. Deliver WOW through service
2. Embrace and drive change
3. Create fun and a little weirdness
4. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded
5. Pursue growth and learning
6. Build open and honest relationships with communication
7. Build a positive team and family spirit
8. Do more with less
9. Be passionate and determines
10. Be humble
These two men built there businesses on the Guest Experience and creating the Wow Factor. They both did it with letting the Guest know they are always right and training their staff to believe the same thing too.
To me, Tony is like the second coming of Walt Disney and he probably doesn’t even know it. Maybe you can be the third?
~ Best of Luck
*If you would like a copy of the Zappos culture book, email me at eperry@riedc.com and I will tell you how to get a copy for free.
Editor’s Note: This feature is the third in a four-part series. Next Month: My fourth and final submission for Creating Guest Euphoria One Step at a Time. The topic: “What’s Next”…You have given your Guest a great first impression, gained their trust, and let them know they are always right, what’s next?
[1] Be Our Guest. Disney Institute. P. 86. Disney Editions
[2] http://www.zappos.com/bios.zhtml
[3] Zappos Culture Book. Zappos.com. P. 2. 10Lim Productions.