Now an insider takes you inside the incredible Disney service culture and presents simple, powerful concepts in a fun, memorable way.
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Those who worry that corporations have become excessively big and powerful must still admit that firms such as McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and Disney have got at least one thing right. They know how to keep the customer satisfied and coming back for more! Connellan, a senior principal in a consulting firm specializing in customer loyalty and coauthor of Sustaining Knock Your Socks Off Service (1993), holds up Disney in particular as exemplary. Here he re-creates a fictional visit to Disney's Magic Kingdom to bring to life examples of the customer service concepts Disney practices. Connellan was neither encouraged nor authorized by Disney management to write this book, but he did attend a Disney University seminar in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to learn more about the "Disney approach to leadership, people management, [and] service quality." David Rouse
From the Inside Flap
Disney is recognized and admired around the world. The company's remarkable success comes from its ability to keep customers coming back again and again. Almost 70 percent of Magic Kingdom guests are return visitors.
Now, the principles that drive the culture and phenomenal success of Disney are disclosed in this fun, easy-to-read book. Based on interviews and discussions with past and present Disney employees, it reveals seven key lessons that can be applied in any company and provides powerful examples that will help employees at any level become more customer focused. You'll learn:
How Disney creates and sustains one of the most powerful corporate cultures ever
Whos the real competition for Disney and your company
How to get all employees to understand and believe that they play an important role
The type of feedback that is even more damaging than punishment and how to avoid this common trap
The special way Disney cast members learn teamwork and how you can put that into practice at your company
You'll also learn many insider secrets that will make you a hero to your children and a fun traveling companion on your next trip to the Magic Kingdom!
Some of the lessons youll take from Disney's powerful customer service culture include:
--How to track customer satisfaction like Tinkerbell and get real-time data and high response rates (page 70)
--How to use powerful methods like Disney's "Guest Service Fanatic" cards and the "Spirit of Disney Award" to recognize, celebrate, and reward quality work (pages 87 and 90)
--How to best respond to a question like "What time does the 3:00 parade start?" (page 126)
--How to model your selection and training on such successful programs as "Traditions," "Wish upon a Star," and "We've Come a Long Way, Mickey" (page 139)
--How to create a feeling of partnership with outside vendors so they become part of your team (page 163)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A number of years ago, I had the pleasure of leading a group of our clients to do a site visit at Walt Disney World to study the best practices employed there. During that session, I was struck that people who had been at Disney World as customers many times had failed to appreciate the management lessons of how the results are achieved.
This wonderful book gives you an experience very similar to the one that my clients and I had on this visit. You will find out about the incredible attention to detail that provides the potential for a flawless customer experience, the fabulous underground city beneath the Magic Kingdom, the remarkable recruitment and training methods used to produce the show with such a fine cast, and the principles of personal responsibility that make it all work.
All of this is summarized into 7 simple lessons that you will have an easy time remembering. Each is rooted in Disney examples that will stick with you, making good hooks for remembering the principles.
But this is not just another In Praise of Disney book. The author spends considerable time taking the principles and suggesting how they should be applied in other kinds of businesses, both large and small. This is done both through having 5 executives taking the tour, each from their own perspective, but also by providing some guidance at the end about how to use the lessons.
The format of the book is somewhere between management fable and analyzed case study. Since it is neither and both, you will probably find this to be pleasant reading. I know I did.
Enjoy and apply! Then give yourself a trip to Disney World to do advanced study as a reward! Disney offers many seminars and educational opportunities to extend the lessons offered in this book. How to sign up for these is outlined in the book
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you've ever visited Disneyworld, you probably didn't know that as you stood gazing at the quaint replica Italian square, Morrocan kasbah or the castle of the Magic Kingdom, you were actually standing on the roof of an enormous building. Underneath your feet (which, by the way are being scanned by video cameras; a Disney security guard can find a lost child by the description of his shoes) is a hive of activity with "cast members" performing their roles with exceptional training and dedication.
Hidden doors, passageways and stairs are everywhere in Disneyworld--if you know where to look past the eye-teasing designs of the buildings. Behind the scenes a lot is going on, and that's what this book is about.
The book takes the somewhat hokey form of fictional tour given to a stuffy old guy who finally is won over to the Disney way. Despite the whimsical and not-exactly-business-textbook tone, the book does contain the principles which have made Disney a billion-dollar powerhouse. The Disney principles outlined in this book for customer service have allowed the company to achieve a consistent level of performance and quality that is unsurpassed. When have you ever heard a person return from the seemingly manditory pilgrimage to Disneyworld that they were "disappointed?" Here's a telling anecdote from a friend of mine that points to Disney's dedication to customer satisfaction; as they were leaving the park, their little daughter was crying. She didn't get to see Minnie Mouse amongst the roving costumed cartoon characters that day. Her cries were heard by watchful cast members and a Minnie Mouse was dispatched by radio to meet with her young fan before she left. It was unthinkable that anyone should leave Disneyworld disappointed.
If you read this book, and then get a chance to go to Disneyworld, you can watch the principles in action. If you are really lucky and get a VIP behind the scenes tour, you will never look at Disney the same way again. From crowd control to security, to marketing, to customer satisfaction, they have produced a product worth studying for success in your business endeavors. Some people find the fictional story a bit childish, but other find it makes the dry business reading enjoyable. Either way, the principles of customer satisfaction and how to achieve it are clearly outlined here and worth your while to know.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Walt Disney Company is famous for having an organization that is dedicated to customer service and quality of product. The author of this book has attempted to break down the culture and philosophy of Disney into seven easily understood lessons. Since I have not worked for Disney, I cannot judge how well the author did in his understanding of the Disney organization's culture and techniques, however, the seven lessons that he presents certainly make sense for any business environment.
I am always amazed at how studies of successful businesses reveal ideas that hardly seem earth shattering because they are so basic and appear to be simple common sense. However, these concepts need to be repeated over and over again. One such idea is to know your customers and keep them the focus of everything that you are doing. But in the business world of today, these common sense ideas seem to get lost in rush to make a business successful, which is odd because these are the very ideas that will make a business succeed.
This book was enjoyable to read and the lessons are presented to the reader in a series of entertaining and relaxed stories. After reading this book I felt a renewed commitment to the common sense ideas presented in this book. I recommend this book to anyone in business that would like to renew his or her own commitment to solid business concepts.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Absolutely inspiring
This is a must read no matter what profession you are in. This book was recommended to me and I am not a regular reader, but I could not put this book down.
Published 1 month ago by Making a change
Good ideas, too long for it
The ideas are good and well explaind but I thing it could save some things that are not really necesary and only make the story longer.
Published 2 months ago by Olivia
Fantastic Read!
Inside the Magic Kingdom was one the easiest and best management/customer relations books I have ever read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ayla Freeman
Realistic Glmpse Leveraging the Power of a Story
Sometimes taking a break from factual books is a good thing. Tom does a great job giving you a glimpse at how Disney is run by telling you a story. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mel DePaoli
Simple principles which miss the real Disney magic
Disney, and especially the Magic Kingdom, is one of the best models that can be used to take any company to the next level of customer satisfaction, according to Bill Connellan in... Read more
Published 16 months ago by John Gibbs
How a mouse became a Giant!
If you want to know why Disney is #1 in its field of business this book tells you why. It gives a behind the scenes look at how they got there and why they stay there.
Published 16 months ago by Dewong Lucas Sr
A must read for customer service.
This is my second time reading this book. It is full of grest customer service techniques. I purchased this book and am making it required reading for my staff.
Published 16 months ago by Special K
Great book, great read.
Great price for a new/used book...recommend the read for any one in business or is in customer relations.
Published on May 21, 2010 by RustyR
Makes you imagine...
The way the story is told allows you to imagine how you would incorporate the steps.
It also will make you think about taking a trip to the Magic Kingdom and finding all... Read more
It also will make you think about taking a trip to the Magic Kingdom and finding all... Read more
Published on April 11, 2010 by P. Merkle
Simple Truths
Inside the Magic Kingdom was a very light read on how Disney treats their customers and employees. The journey is in story format. Read more
Published on August 12, 2009 by TDM
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