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| Photo of The Matterhorn at Disneyland by Brendan Waters |
Walt Disney is famous for following the philosophy of "Everything Speaks."
He knew that excellent service exceeded the interactions between the cast members (employees) and the guests (customers). The customer experience extended to everything guests could encounter with their senses.
The following well-known bits of Disneyland trivia exemplify Walt's belief that Everything Speaks. Rarely is anything done by accident in the Disney Parks. Intentionality prevails.
- The music in each land purposefully reflects the theme of each area. For instance, the 1930s-inspired music loop that timestamps Adventureland or the yodeling polka that accents the Swiss Alps' Matterhorn Bobsleds.
- The scent of popcorn greets visitors when they enter the park as if they were walking into a magical movie.
- Walt famously had trash cans designed with lids so guests wouldn't have to see the garbage inside. Trash isn't part of the Disney magic unless it's Forky the Spork from Disney Pixar's Toy Story. Each trashcan in the park is strategically placed for ease of waste disposal. Each is also painted to match the theme of the land it's in.
- The terrain changes immediately as guests step into a new land. In Frontierland, the dirt-colored nests imprints of horseshoes and wagon wheels, whereas in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, tracks embedded in the ground reveal the past travels of droids. Not only does it look different, it also feels different to the soles of guests' feet.
- Oh, and that tap-tap-tapping you hear at the train station in New Orleans Square? It's Walt's dedication speech on Disneyland's opening day.
Disney trivia buffs (like my son) can give you many, many more details you might not know. Disney's attention to detail continues to blow my mind!
And still...
Most of us don't work at or live in Disneyland. (I wish I did!)
For context, let's take Disney's lens into our daily business transactions.
If everything speaks, what is everything saying?
- Are the menus sticky in a restaurant? That sends a message.
- Is the scent at a coffee shop as expected (delicious) or does it smell of cleanser? That sends a message.
- Is the carpet in the lobby of a building spotted and stained? That sends a message.
- Is the signage in a parking lot or foyer clear, accurate, and easy to understand? That sends a message.
- Is a company's website up to date and simple to navigate? That sends a message.
- Are customer email inquiries answered promptly and courteously? That sends a message.
- Are you replying to the customers or your team's emails in a timely fashion, or are you hoping for "I'm busy" excuses poor communication? Not sending an email sends a message.
And, of course,
- Are the people who interact with the public happy to be there and happy to help? That sends a message.
I've asked many organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area what messages they might be unintentionally sending to their customers.
- Police officers have confessed that the interiors of their cars are a mess (and this matters because they have many citizen ride-alongs).
- Municipalities noticed that parking was awful and customers were frustrated before they even came in the door.
- Executives realized their offices were disorderly and less than welcoming, which, in turn, sent an unintended message to their visitors and internal customers.
Today's lesson:
If everything speaks, make the messages intentional.
Recognize and reinforce the right messaging.
Manage or make up for the messaging that isn't in alignment with your mission, vision, and values!.
And for my fellow Disney fans, I'll conclude with one of my favorite Walt Disney quotes:
"Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do."