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1. Disney's "Magic" is Practical Quality Service

Just because you cannot assign a numeric value to magic does not mean that it is not playing a powerful role at Disney and in other companies around the world.

Magic is practical. Disney's world-famous magic isn't mystical; it's the result of meticulously planned, well-rehearsed processes designed to delight guests. This "practical magic" is Quality Service: exceeding guest expectations by paying attention to every detail. It builds guest satisfaction and brand loyalty, fundamental sources of growth.

Art and science. Creating this magic combines art (storytelling, design) and science (training, processes, operations). Like a magic show, the audience sees wonder, but the magician sees a practical system. Disney applies this art and science to all its businesses, from parks and resorts to media and consumer products.

Universal application. While Disney operates theme parks and studios, its principles apply to any organization. Whether you make airplane parts or run a hospital, you are in the service business. In the "Experience Economy," goods and services are props; customers want memorable experiences, making every business a "stager of experiences."

2. Guestology: Know Your Customer Deeply

You don’t build it for yourself. You know what people want, and you build it for them.

Art and science. Guestology is Disney's term for the art and science of understanding customers. It involves gathering both demographic (who they are, where they come from, how much they spend) and psychographic (what they need, want, their stereotypes, and emotions) information. This knowledge forms the basis for all service strategy.

Gathering insights. Disney uses various techniques to understand guests:

• Face-to-face surveys and listening posts
• Comment cards and cast member observations
• Utilization studies (usage patterns)
• Mystery shoppers
• Telephone surveys, letters, emails, and focus groups

Guiding strategy. Guestology provides context for service goals. For Disney, the context is creating happiness. Understanding guest expectations allows the company to establish a baseline for service and continuously refine performance, ensuring that efforts are always focused on what the customer truly values and expects.

3. Define Your Common Purpose and Quality Standards

Whether or not they are as fanatic in their service obsession as Frito, IBM, or Disney, the excellent companies all seem to have very powerful service themes that pervade the institutions.

Rallying flag. A common purpose defines an organization's mission and why it exists. Disney's is "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere." This aligns the workforce and sets expectations, serving as a living theme rooted in heritage, not just a plaque on a wall.

Operational criteria. Quality standards are the operational criteria that ensure the consistent delivery of the common purpose. At Disney parks, these are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency, prioritized in that order. They act as filters for decision-making and measures of service quality.

Prioritized actions. Prioritizing standards is crucial for resolving conflicts. For example, Safety always comes before Efficiency or Show. These standards define how the common purpose is fulfilled and provide a clear framework for employee actions, making expectations explicit and providing a basis for accountability.

4. Cast: Your Front Line Delivers the Magic

You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world . . . but it requires people to make the dream a reality.

Most important asset. Employees, or "cast members" in Disney-speak, are the primary delivery system for Quality Service. At Disney parks, interactions with cast members are the single biggest factor in guest satisfaction and intent to return. Hiring friendly people is the first step.

Multi-tiered training. Disney prepares its cast through a multi-tiered approach:

• Global orientation (Traditions): Culture, language, symbols, standards.
• Line-of-business training: Job-specific skills (e.g., food safety).
• Local orientation: Site-specific information for business units.
• On-the-job training: Role-specific performance.

Performance culture. Beyond universal training, local "performance cultures" are built within business units (like the Polynesian Resort). These location-specific behaviors, mannerisms, and values align with the overall purpose but enhance the local "show," strengthening employee ownership and customizing service delivery.

5. Setting: Everything Speaks to the Guest Experience

You can’t change people. But if you change the environment that the people are in, they will change.

The stage. Setting is the environment where service is delivered, including physical and virtual spaces, objects within them, and maintenance procedures. At Disney, this is "inside the berm," where every detail supports the story and immerses guests. Everything, animate or inanimate, sends messages to customers.

Sensory design. Effective setting appeals to all five senses:

• Sight: Architecture, landscaping, color, lighting, signage, visual magnets ("wienies").
• Sound: Music, ambient noise, synchronized audio.
• Smell: Pumped-in scents (popcorn, baked goods).
• Touch: Textures, interactive elements, ride sensations.
• Taste: Themed food and beverage offerings.

Onstage vs. backstage. Separating public ("onstage") areas from behind-the-scenes ("backstage") areas is crucial. Backstage is for operations and employee breaks, designed for efficiency, not guest experience. This prevents distractions and maintains the illusion onstage, ensuring that only elements supporting the show are visible or audible to guests.

6. Process: The Engine of Service Delivery

People still think of me as a cartoonist, but the only thing I lift a pen or pencil for these days is to sign a contract, a check, or an autograph.

Series of actions. Processes are the policies, tasks, and procedures that combine cast and setting to produce a result – service delivery. Over three-quarters of service is process-based. Walt Disney formalized processes in his studio and parks to ensure consistent, high-quality entertainment output.

Combustion points. Processes have "combustion points" where things can go wrong, leading to guest frustration ("This is taking too long!", "No one knows the answer!"). Identifying these points through guest feedback is key to preventing "explosions." Common issues include guest flow, cast-to-guest communication, and handling special needs.

Debugging and plussing. Continuous improvement, or "plussing," is vital. Debugging processes involves fixing design flaws, adopting new technologies (like the Automated Ticketing System), and even solving guest-owned problems (like finding a lost car). This ensures processes remain efficient and guest-focused in an ever-changing environment.

7. Integrate Cast, Setting, and Process for Seamless Service

When your neighbors rave about their experiences staying at a Disney resort or at an attraction in one of the parks, what they are really describing is how well all of the points on the Quality Service Compass have been integrated to deliver a seamless, magical guest experience.

Bringing it together. Integration is the critical final step, combining cast, setting, and process to deliver the quality standards and achieve the common purpose. When integrated, the systems work together seamlessly, creating a guest experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Integration Matrix. The Integration Matrix is a tool to visualize and plan this integration. It charts quality standards against delivery systems (Cast, Setting, Process). Each intersection represents a "moment of truth" where service quality is delivered. Filling in how each standard is met by each system ensures comprehensive coverage.

Headliners and landmarks. While all systems contribute to all standards, some combinations are "headliners" (especially powerful, e.g., Cast delivering Courtesy, Setting delivering Show, Process delivering Efficiency). Others are "landmarks." Recognizing these helps prioritize focus, but all intersections must be addressed for a truly integrated, seamless experience.

8. Attention to Detail Creates the "Wow" Factor

What’s our success formula? It’s attention to infinite detail, the little things, the little, minor, picky points that others just don’t want to take the time, money, or effort to do.

The little things. Exceeding guest expectations relies heavily on meticulous attention to detail. Walt Disney was famous for this, ensuring everything from animation shading ("bumping the lamp") to pavement texture supported the story. These details, often unnoticed consciously, create a consistent, high-quality experience.

Everything speaks. Every detail in the setting, every action by the cast, every step in a process sends a message. An overflowing trash can, a misspelled sign, or a rude employee can instantly undermine the intended service message. Consistency across all details is paramount.

Continuous focus. Attention to detail isn't a one-time task; it requires continuous effort. This includes designing maintenance into settings (like automated irrigation) and enlisting every employee in the effort (like cast members picking up trash). This relentless focus ensures the "wow" factor is consistently delivered.

9. Continuous Improvement (Plussing/Debugging) is Essential

The park means a lot to me. It’s something that will never be finished, something I can keep developing, keep “plussing” and adding to.

Never finished. Walt Disney believed his parks should never be finished, always evolving and improving based on guest feedback and new ideas. This philosophy of "plussing" is deeply embedded in the culture, driving continuous refinement of attractions, services, and processes.

Responding to change. The marketplace, technology, and guest expectations constantly change. Organizations must adapt or risk becoming obsolete. This requires periodically redesigning business models and processes, like Toys "R" Us revamping its stores or Volkswagen handling a car recall.

Guest-driven improvement. Improvement opportunities come from identifying process flaws (debugging) and addressing guest needs or problems, even those guests create themselves (like forgetting where they parked). Listening to guests and proactively solving their issues is a powerful form of continuous improvement.

10. Service Attention for Every Individual Guest

Guests may not always be right, but they are always our guests.

Beyond the average. While standardized processes serve the majority, Quality Service means recognizing and accommodating the unique needs of individual guests. This requires "service attention" processes for those who don't fit the standard profile.

Tailored experiences. Disney provides service attention for diverse groups:

• International guests: Multilingual support, cultural awareness training for cast.
• Small children: Height certificates for rides, Kidcot activities in Epcot.
• Guests with disabilities: Mainstream access, special passes, audio/visual aids.

Resources and communication. Effective service attention requires appropriate resources (e.g., Magic Pouches with repair kits) and clear communication about their availability to both cast and guests. This ensures that every guest, regardless of their individual circumstances, feels valued and receives a positive experience.

Last updated: May 9, 2025