Mickey's Ten Commandments

In Be Our Guest, Vice Chairman Marty Sklar answers the question about how Disney delivers it's service themes and standards by sharing the list of design principles he created. [He said it's what he learned from his principal mentors Walt Disney and John Hench.]

Think about your church as you read this. Think about the individual ministries. Think about your brochures, your web site, your lobby, your postcards, your emails... every touch point a visitor experiences. Ready?

1. Know your audience. Before creating a setting, obtain a firm understanding of who will be using it.
2. Wear your guest's shoes. That is, never forget the human factor. Evaluate your setting from the customer's perspective by experiencing it as a customer.
3. Organize the flow of people and ideas. Think of a setting as a story and tell that story in a sequenced, organized way. Build the same order and logic into the design of customer movement.
4. Create a visual magnet. It's a visual landmark used to orient and attract people.
5. Communicate with visual literacy. Language is not always composed of words. Use common languages of color, shape and form to communicate through a setting.
6. Avoid overload--create turn-ons. Do not bombard customers with data. Let them choose the information they want when they want it.
7. Tell one story at a time. Mixing multiple stories in a single setting is confusing. Create one setting for each big idea.
8. Avoid contradictions; maintain identity. Every detail and every setting should support and further your organizational identity and mission.
9. For every ounce of treatment provide a ton of treat. Give your customers the highest value by building an interactive setting that gives them the opportunity to exercise all of their senses.
10. Keep it up. Never get complacent and always maintain your setting.

[I promise this isn't my list. I took it right from Mickey. But, it's the principles I get fired up about regularly. I could pass if off as my list.]

Comments

[Eric Jaffe]

Disney sure gets it right with Be our Guest. I read it and later took our staff and key volunteers through "The Five Star Church" and "Raving Fans". It went a long way in creating a Guest centered focus amongst our team. We are constantly looking for ways to "! Up" our experience in Jesus' name.

We have awesome jobs don't we!

[Corey Mann]

Now on my list to read. Thanks for the push.

[Kem Meyer]

Tonja,

The psychographic information we gathered for our audience is profiled in the people in our community who DON’T go to church. So we started looking at them. What are they doing with their free time? Where do they spend their money? What businesses or radio stations are soaring? What ones failed?

There are a ton of mainstream businesses that have done the research for you, all you have to do is tap into it. For example, radio stations, newspapers, local periodicals, billboards and television stations all have sales departments that have demo and psychographic data that they share with potential advertisers. Start there & see if it helps.

Kem

[Kem Meyer]

Steve,
I'd start with these.

---Market Leadership Strategies for Service Companies; Craig Terrill & Art Middlebrooks---First Impressions; Mark Waltz
---All Marketers are Liars; Seth Godin
---FISH; Lundin, Christiansen & Paul
---Creating Customer Evangelists; McConnell

Kem

[Tonja Conway]

I've also been checking daily for a new post since I heard you speak at MinistryCOM last year. I love what you have to say and how you say it. You often mention learning about your audience - psychographics, etc. Can you recommend any resources to help me learn how to do that? Other than standing on the corner asking people what they like, what they hate and how they spend their free time, there must be a way to gather that info. I'm just not sure how to start. Thanks!

[Dawn Nicole]

This is fantastic, Kem.

Creating [and sustaining] a stellar guest experience is something Disney has just nailed. There's so much we can learn from & apply as ministries. Thanks for keeping the bar high!

[Steve Finch]

Kim,
I just finished reading "Be Our Guest". I saw it listed on your sidebar while waiting for a new post (I check daily) and decided to purchase the book. What a gold mine!
Unfornately I'm unable to make it out for the upcoming conference, but I do have a question for you. What other books would you recommend along with "Be Your Guest" to help a church with the issue of customer service?
Thanks for your help...love your blog.

Steve Finch