Customer Service

Learning from Disney

Train your staff with a few customer service lessons from “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

BY ELIZABETH HOLLOWAY, COE, CPSS, PHR

Since my family lives only about 90 minutes from Orlando, we visit Disney World regularly. While enjoying the parks, attending concerts, or dining in the restaurants, we are guaranteed one constant: incredible customer service.

Disney employees — called “cast members” — are an integral part of making every moment magical for millions of annual guests. Disney’s customer service training is so outstanding that The Walt Disney Company created a professional development arm, Disney Institute, in which they train professionals in other industries on customer service.

In May, the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) hosted a customer service seminar through Disney Institute at its annual congress in New Orleans. Administrators and managers attended the seminar to see if they could implement “Disney magic” customer service in an ophthalmology practice.

Recently, I spoke with Nikoletta “Niki” Rice, who attended the seminar. Ms. Rice worked as a finance consultant with Eastside Eye Associates in Manhattan, NY, for several years and became their office manager in January. With the varied personalities and cultures that exist in New York City, she wanted to understand more about how Disney’s customer service might work in eye care.

Here are some of the lessons she shared with me.

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Start at the top.

Great customer service starts with managers who promote employee engagement and empowerment. Disney shared that their cast members, at every level, train and are then given permission to turn ordinary actions into magical experiences.

Ms. Rice sees opportunities for this type of magical customer service every day in her practice. Simple actions, such as offering a patient a cup of coffee or helping a patient feel comfortable while waiting for transportation, can make a big difference.

Ms. Rice also feels that customer service has to start with her. To quote John Miller, author and speaker on personal accountability, “Modeling is the most powerful of all teachers” (“QBQ! The Question Behind the Questions,” Penguin). Disney stresses that great customer service starts with managers. Now, when Ms. Rice passes through the office, she sets the example of how to treat patients.

Encourage physician modeling.

Disney’s challenges people to make connections between people. For example, many patients have different experiences with staff than they do with their physicians, even though the goal should be for patients to have the same “feeling” no matter who they see.

To help staff better match the customer service provided by doctors, Ms. Rice recommends getting to know your doctors’ styles and approaches with patient care. This will help the staff understand their philosophies and carry the same feeling or theme throughout the office.

Hire right.

Disney has a rigorous hiring process. Before filling out an application, candidates are required to watch a video about the company’s expectations, salary, work schedule, and other details about the position, and Ms. Rice is implementing a similar early and clear employee introduction in her practice.

Disney indicates that 20% to 25% of potential applicants leave after the video and never fill out the application, which is done by design. They are upfront in their expectations for cast members, and they communicate those expectations early and clearly. They are looking for employees who are willing to “buy-in” to their requirements and philosophy.

Understand the new normal.

Ms. Rice learned that patients expect good customer service. If her office provides a “good” experience, patients consider this normal. Excellent customer service means going above and beyond, building on small moments that have a huge impact.

For example, Ms. Rice recently noticed a diabetic woman in the waiting room. The woman seemed unsteady, so Ms. Rice stopped to see if she could do anything for her. The staff brought her a small snack to eat and ushered her into an exam room so she could see the doctor. The patient was very thankful that Ms. Rice noticed her.

Recognize and reward.

After outlining clear expectations, Ms. Rice stresses the need to recognize and reward great customer service. The Disney Institute encourages managers to tailor recognition programs to meet the needs of individual employees. For example, some employees love and crave attention, while other employees hate being publicly recognized. Managers should learn how each person receives praise and then reinforce great customer service with appropriate rewards. Most importantly, Disney indicates that employees should not be rewarded with money, rather provide recognition to the employee for a job well done.

Lessons learned

While an ophthalmology practice is not Disney World, Ms. Rice believes that she can apply many of the lessons learned during the ASOA seminar to her practice. Her goal is to have staff work together as a team, providing patients with better care and experiences than they can receive anywhere else in the city — just like Disney. OP

Ms. Holloway is a senior consultant with BSM Consulting in Clearwater, FL. Her current certifications include Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Patient Service Specialist (CPSS).