The Experience: The 5 Principles of Disney Service and Relationship Excellence

Praise for THE EXPERIENCE

"The Experience book accurately depicts the ingredients needed to create an exceptional customer experience. I found the road map in the book to be clear, insightful and relevant to the retail world as well as any organization that desires to create a strong relationship with clients and consumers."
Joe Scarlett, Retired Chairman and CEO, Tractor Supply Company

"If you don′t make the customer the priority of your product and delivery, you will fail at whatever efforts you make. The Experience is a remarkable expression of the details of growing a business or institution by making the connection with the customer your focal point."
Jimmy Draper, President Emeritus, LifeWay

"I′ve worked with hundreds of organizations on customer service improvement initiatives. I can tell you that if you follow the blueprint offered here by Bruce and Brian, your organization will create an Experience that drives intense customer loyalty."
Dennis Snow, Former Manager at the Disney Institute, President, Snow & Associates

Inside, you′ll find:

The I. C.A.R.E Principles and the "Disney–inspired" Non–Negotiables for each principle that every excellent brand must deliver Access to the interactive Experience Quotient tool to identify your 12 greatest opportunities for improvement Quotient Questions that promote in–depth reflection on each of the Non–Negotiables Actionables providing "try this" tips for ascending to the next level on the experience hierarchy Step–by–step instructions for completing the One Level challenge to quickly develop a better customer experience

When your customers walk through your doors or access your service–oriented products, they should leave the outside world and become immersed in the world of your brand. Few businesses have reached this Disney–like level of success, but now, with The Experience, anyone with the right level of commitment can achieve excellence.

Foreword Dr. Spencer Craig vii

Acknowledgments ix

Part I PRESHOW 1

(Setting the Stage)

Chapter One The Experience Path: Why We Wrote the Book and How to Use It 3

Chapter Two The I. C.A.R.E. Principles 8

Chapter Three Five Levels of the Experience: What Level Are You? 12

Part II ONSTAGE 23

(The Customer Interface)

Chapter Four Principle 1: Impression 25

Impression 1.1: Engage 30

Impression 1.2: Intentional 35

Impression 1.3: Senses 39

Impression 1.4: Emotion 45

Impression 1.5: Presentation 51

Impression 1.6: Professionalism 55

Impression 1.7: Pristine 60

Impression 1.8: Pride 65

Impression 1.9: Likeability 70

Impression 1.10: Consistency 75

Chapter Five Principle 2: Connection 78

Connection 2.1: Communication 82

Connection 2.2: Deliberate 86

Connection 2.3: Personalize 91

Connection 2.4: Affirmation 96

Connection 2.5: Knowledge 100

Connection 2.6: Interaction 104

Connection 2.7: Respect 108

Connection 2.8: Trust 111

Connection 2.9: Relationship 116

Connection 2.10: Finishing 120

Chapter Six Principle 3: Attitude 125

Attitude 3.1: Idealism 131

Attitude 3.2: Choice 135

Attitude 3.3: Desire 139

Attitude 3.4: Yes 144

Attitude 3.5: Happiness 148

Attitude 3.6: Optimism 152

Attitude 3.7: Expectations 157

Attitude 3.8: Persistence 161

Attitude 3.9: Ownership 166

Attitude 3.10: Illumination 171

Chapter Seven Principle 4: Response 176

Response 4.1: Detail 182

Response 4.2: Engagement 187

Response 4.3: Urgency 191

Response 4.4: Insight 195

Response 4.5: Empathy 198

Response 4.6: Process 202

Response 4.7: Adaptation 206

Response 4.8: Validation 212

Response 4.9: Anticipation 216

Response 4.10: Recovery 220

Part III BACKSTAGE 225

(The Internal Interface)

Chapter Eight Principle 5: Exceptionals 227

Exceptionals 5.1: Culture 231

Exceptionals 5.2: Excellence 237

Exceptionals 5.3: Ethos 242

Exceptionals 5.4: Accountability 246

Exceptionals 5.5: Teaming 250

Exceptionals 5.6: Investment 256

Exceptionals 5.7: Training 260

Exceptionals 5.8: Development 266

Exceptionals 5.9: Extraordinary 271

Exceptionals 5.10: Enjoyment 277

Chapter Nine Finale: The One Level Challenge: What about You or Your Company Says, I. C.A.R.E. ? 281

Index 287

BRUCE LOEFFLER is the Co–Founder and President of Experience International. In his 10 years at Disney, Bruce held several key positions including the first Disney Service Excellence Coordinator. Bruce has developed numerous training programs for Disney and other Fortune 500 Companies specializing in customer service, motivation, communication, leadership and the Customer Experience. Bruce@TheExpInt.com

BRIAN T. CHURCH is the Co–Founder of Experience International as well as the CEO of Ambassadors International. Brian specializes in building business relationships and creating relational momentum for brands, ideas and endeavors around the globe. Brian@TheExpInt.com