“The customer is always right”. It’s a phrase most of us have heard time and time again, and it was never until I began working at Disney World that I realized how incredibly true that statement is. Now I’ve held jobs in retail at three places prior to my time in merchandise at Downtown Disney, but I have quickly learned how important guest satisfaction really is. As I briefly discussed in last week’s entry, cast members are expected to perform at the highest level, and chief among that is making guest experiences completely magical.
Disney philosophy means that magic starts with the cast member. Specifically for my area of merchandise, they have created the concept of “merchantaining”. The idea of merchantaining comes from understanding the product, or the merchandise, well enough to sell it, and entertaining the guests while doing so. There are many different things cast members can do to merchantaining. It can be something as simple as giving a child a sticker adorned with the image of the beloved Mickey Mouse or singing a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to a guest wearing a birthday button. In some cases, when a little more is needed to up the guest’s level of satisfaction, large exceptions can be made to achieve those needs.
The concept of merchantaining isn’t that far off from treating your job like a performance, but the Disney view of guest approval is something to take with you on the road to your career. Although it may be difficult, pleasing the customer is really how every business becomes successful. If you treat the guest as if they’re the only thing that matters, they will return. Think about it: as a collegiette™, you tend to revisit the same establishments over and over again. Personally, I shop at the places I know have good products, (usually) have good employees, and meet the standards they have set long ago. Time and time again, families have returned to the wonderful world of Disney to relive old memories and create new ones. My family, much like any others, has let Walt’s magic infiltrate our family traditions. It’s on part of the cast members, happy to meet the needs of the guests and preserve the enchanted legacy Walt Disney dreamed up long ago.
So as you embark on building your career path, remember to choose a workplace where you’re more than happy to make the customers happy. Even though some may not be as appreciative when you go above and beyond, and many others will not be nice in their quest to have their needs met, it does wonders for your own satisfaction if you can go home at the end of the day knowing you impacted one person’s experience. After all, you could be responsible for that guest’s return visit! And trust me; there is no better feeling than knowing you were a bright spot in someone’s vacation memories.