ICON LEADERSHIP

Love songs are my guilty about pleasure. And, after an amazing twitter chat (#tchat) with The Disney Institute about Guest Service (#custexp #custserv "Talking Point" The Disney Institute Blog), I figured this would be a great teaching resource. These love songs really put it into perspective what people are seeking in fantastic customer service. I'm going to be using a few top love songs from the 2000s as examples.

First up. Justin Timberlake's "My love". His ballad hits every point relating to going above-and-beyond. He shares the story about how the kindest gestures can go a long way. Holding hands, just hanging out side-by-side, or walking on the beach. Just like love, it's sometimes the little things that capture our customer's attention. It's about catering our service for each individual. In "My love", JT is certain this is the only woman in the world for him. We should be making our customers feel the same way. Lesson number one: Individualize your service. Sometimes it's the little things that make a customers feel special.

Next up, "Cater 2 U" by Destiny's Child. The song really is what the title makes it out to be. S-E-R-V-I-C-E it's really not difficult. If you don't know the answer, don't say "I don't know". Don't even make up an answer. No one likes to get lied to. So, go out of your way to find an answer. If your out of eggplant for that signature eggplant Parmesan dish, GO BUY SOME EGGPLANT. Take time to listen to your customer's needs. Lesson number two: Cater to your customer's every need. It's not customer service without service.

Another great song, "Promise" by Ciara. Let's skip to the end on this one. It can get a little hot. But, I want to point out her promise to her man. A relationship needs a covenant, and a business needs to respect (and I always think they should occasionally reward) a customer's loyalty. Guaranteed, you bring a genuine and integrity filled service, you'll find a lifetime customer. Lesson number three: Service should be genuine. Own your product. Own your service. That's the promise you make to your customers. Keep your promises.

Let's not stop there. "U got it bad" by Usher perfectly describes the goal of every business. We want our customers to have it so bad for us, they just keep coming back. They love us so much, they tell everyone they know. My wife acts like this for a skin care company, Lush Cosmetics. She's got it bad. So bad, she never leaves the store without a sample of their new product. So bad, she takes friends and family there when they visit us. So bad, she thinks about her entire skin care line add we drive by...you know... in case she needs to pick up anything. Oh yeah, she's got it bad. The challenge for any business is finding out how to make every customer that walks in get hooked as bad as my wife. In Usher's song, he says, "I'm fortunate to have you girl. I want you to know. I really adore you." And, that's why my wife keeps going back. They show their appreciation for her business. The team members ask how her current products are doing, if she's considers adding to her line, or if she would like some samples of current or new products. Lesson number four: Ask your customers for satisfaction feedback. Find out they are looking for, and get them to coming back again and again.

Last song, "Don't you remember" by Adele. I know. It's sad. This is probably the most important lesson in all customer service. Just like love, it doesn't always work out. This song is one that we should all sing to the customers we've lost, but the thought provoking lyrics make us question what happened. How do we react when customer service fails? What do we do when we absolutely cannot compromise to make the customer feel special? These moments open opportunities for process improvement. In love, we need boundaries. In customer service, we need boundaries. Lesson five: When service fails, you must ask how you explain your boundaries to the customer.

Hopefully you enjoyed this post. Please follow The Disney Institute Blog: Talking Point. Also, check out the next #DThink #TChat on September 4th. Set your reminder via G+ : Disney's Approach to Leadership Excellence.