Key Points at a Glance:
- Meeting or addressing client concerns is part of giving them a good experience.
- Providing good customer experience leads to repeat customers and organic marketing through “word of mouth” recommendations.
- Great companies provide good service to customers and staff. Happy staff equates to happy service and happy customers.
Disneyland, the brainchild of Walt Disney Jr. is touted to be the “happiest place on the earth” because of the amazing experience that they bring to guests. Disneyland has a whopping 70% return rate for guests and that speaks volumes about the kind of service that they give.
According to the Marriott School of Business, experience design and management goes hand in hand. Experience management is focused on creating an atmosphere that is secure and reliable for clients and customers alike.
The value of experience management was highlighted during this pandemic. Hospitality service leaders such as InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), an Eton College partner, have responded to the needs through a “Stay Safe” campaign.
Empowered Employees = Good Customer Service
The Disney group is known to empower their employees to give their best to customers.
Walt Disney is attributed with the quote “You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world … but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” He knew that a single person could not carry out a gargantuan task alone.
Disney’s on-boarding process for Cast Members involves a big picture purpose driven class called “traditions”. The main purpose of this class is to imbibe the company’s goal of creating happiness. Empowered employees tend to be more engaged in fulfilling their roles and result in customer satisfaction.
Disney has put in great effort to train their employees and provide the best service possible to everyone. Disney as a mindful employer creates employees that are mindful about their duty to serve their clients needs and to disseminate Disney’s passion to bring happiness to people.
Experience Management Is Applicable to All Industries
Disney is a hallmark for delivering memorable experiences not just for their employees but for their clients. They are known for their stellar service that transcends industries. Disney even developed the “Disney Institute” to teach their best practices to everyone; which is in line with their goal to bring happiness to everyone.
Experience management can be an internal affair– between the company leadership and employees and an external affair– between the company and stakeholders (clients, customers, etc.). It is an important part of any industry especially in the hospitality industry.
British Columbia and the Recovering Hospitality Industry
The wake of the COVID19 pandemic has disrupted the hospitality industry in all parts of the globe. In British Columbia, the hospitality industry manages to stay afloat because of local tourism. As borders are reopening, a recovery for the hospitality industry is expected.
According to the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association President Ian Tostenson, there are around 40,000 vacant positions in the hospitality industry. You can be part of the new wave of hospitality professionals such as experience managers in the new normal and beyond if you equip yourself with an education in business administration and hospitality today.
References:
BYU Marriot School of Business. (n.d.). Experience Design & Management. marriot.byu.edu. Retrieved 2021, from https://marriott.byu.edu/exdm/about/what-is-exdm/at-a-glance/
Disney Institute. (February 28, 2018). How Disney Empowers Its Employees to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2021, from https://hbr.org/sponsored/2018/02/how-disney-empowers-its-employees-to-deliver-exceptional-customer-service
Petrol, G. (September 25, 2020). What Marriot, Hilton or Loews Teach Macys and others about COVID Customer Experience Management. Forbes. Retrieved 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2020/09/25/what-can-marriott-hilton-or-loews-teach-macys-and-others-about-covid-customer-experience-management/?sh=22e5f5f85847
