The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney

by J. Jeff Kober

Treat Your Customers Like Guests

In this updated, second edition of his classic book, J. Jeff Kober draws on his years as a Disney Institute Cast Member to teach businesses big and small how to apply Disney's world-class customer service principles.

Kober teaches you what Disney taught him, and illustrates each important principle with an anecdote or a scenario from the Disney theme parks so that his advice is easily grasped and easily implemented, while also being entertaining to read.

Whether you're a sole proprietor or business professional who wants pointers on how to more effectively engage clients, or a small company or large corporation looking for a framework from which to design an organizational approach to customer service, Kober's book has what you need. You'll learn how Disney:

Uses its famous "Four Service Keys" of Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency, and how you can easily adapt them for your business

Practices "assertive friendliness" to make each guest feel welcome and special

Keeps guests on the right path with "wayfinding", and how you can do the same no matter what product you sell or service you provide

Goes beyond the "Golden Rule" with the "Platinum Rule": treat others the way they want to be treated

Creates "customer compliance" with inspired rules and principles that guests want to follow

You can't afford to have your competition treat its customers better than you treat yours. Learn how Disney keeps its guests happy, excited, and eager for more, and then do the same for yours.

Genres: Nonfiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 9, 2009

Reviews

[Nick West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased "The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney" (WWCSD) thinking that it would be similar to "Cast Member Confidential" or "Mousetrapped," two books that chronicle the experiences of former cast members at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. I knew that Jeff Kober was an executive, however, so I was excited to read this higher-level take on working at the Disney theme parks that I so love.

Certainly there is some of that within WWCSD. Kober shares stories on the behind-the-scenes workings of Walt Disney World that are simply amazing, and I lost track of the number of times I stopped and said to myself, "Wow, I didn't know that." (Keep in mind that I have literally read 20 books on Walt Disney World and have visited at least 25 times.) But the real value of WWCSD lies in Kober's ability to explain the principles that have made Disney the widely-recognized world leader in customer service, and he goes on to explain how we all can apply those principles to our own professional and personal lives.

In my job I hold a managerial position where I oversee the work of four people. That certainly does not compare to managing a theme park or even the day-to-day operations of a store or eatery, but it does give me responsibility for the work and well-being of others. As I always leave Walt Disney World wishing that people in "the real world" could be as nice as the cast members in Lake Buena Vista, FL, I have every intention of applying many of Kober's lessons to my leadership style. And I will most certainly read this book again and again as I continue to make my way up the managerial ladder.

[Hots Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good text, bad production.

The tricks and techniques that Disney Parks use to improve customer service were scattered throughout. Examples include going the extra mile by memoizing guests' parking spots when they board the Monorail or parking tram, indexing by time so that cast members can help them rediscover where guests parked their car.

There are too many mentions of the author's autistic children, it felt demeaning to read. I appreciate that Jeff Kober walked in the shoes of guests and relayed stories as a visitor to the Disney parks. I did not like hearing him insult his own children as if they were incapable of enjoying things the way an adult would expect them to.

The build quality of the book is also deplorable. The covers are matte dust magnets with a propensity to curl and stay bent after reading. The book doesn't stay open on its own. Text often runs tight into margins, leaving little blank space. Font is small and crowded edge-to-edge, for an unpleasant reading experience. It felt challenging to proceed at times.

But the stories are applicable, and the summary bullet points concise. I just wish the author wove in more images and better page layout with improved binding and production quality.

[Jon Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for as a Christmas present. It was an easy read and it was filled with great information. I liked the real world scenarios I just wish there were more of them to help explain some ideas.

[Scott Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books on Disney’s approach to customer service. The author tends to toot his own horn a little too often and that cost it a star. Overall a good resource.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for work. I did actually have some good takeaways from this book.

[Tracey]

Gift Dec 2008

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by Jeff, this book highlights interesting stories from his experience working in a variety of positions with Disney.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this so far. I am so glad my teacher assigned this for extra credit! I think everyone who works in a customer service setting should definitely read this.

[Mark Tilchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one beats Disney for customer service. The book is easy to read with real examples of what customer service really means.