Strange Loop is the 2022 Tony award winner for best new musical. The playwright was actually an usher for Lion King when he began working on the play. In an interview, he was asked about this experience. He said that as a Disney usher it was not an ordinary situation. Disney considers all of its employees cast members who contribute to the customer experience. He quipped that there was even a way to show a guest to the bathroom. You didn’t point to the bathroom, you used an open hand flourish.
Disney is the granddaddy of customer experience. They have been thinking about every aspect of the sensory experience for their guests long before it was a topic in business literature.
We want you to notice that we are using the word customer experience rather than customer service.
Customer service is part of the customer experience. It is obviously important to be kind and courteous to the people when they are buying your products or services.
Customer experience is more inclusive. It pays attention to anything that could affect your customers. Again, think Disney.
Disneyland takes painstaking effort to be sure that everywhere you look enhances your visit. The Disney Imagineers even invented the Smellitzer machine to pump scents through hidden vents. Main Street often smells like fresh popcorn, while some rides and attractions have scents that add to their ambiance. This isn’t directly serving the client, but impacts the park goer's perception of their visit.
In evaluating how customers experience your business, take a moment and answer the following questions. Even better, reach out to employees and customers and have them answer the questions. Will their answers align with yours?
What type of environment do you create for your customers (i.e. your showroom, office, website, and social media)?
In each step of the customer experience what actions do you and your employees take that show customers they are the priority?
When the business transaction is over, how do you let customers know that you value their business?
When things go wrong what is your philosophy about how to resolve the matter?
As you see by these questions, there is more to creating a high quality customer experience than just direct customer service. Answering all of the questions will help you identify your strengths and challenges and map a way forward so that your customers feel well cared for and become loyal (not just repeat) customers.