W alt Disney once famously opined that, “Of
all the things I’ve done, the most vital is
coordinating those who work with me and
aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” That philosophy
and its wholehearted embrace of teamwork seems to be
at the heart of everything they do at the Disney Institute.
Founded in the 1980s at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Florida, the Disney Institute was originally known
as Walt Disney World Seminar Productions. In the
beginning the sole focus was servicing the increasing
numbers of requests that Walt Disney World received
from other companies wanting to take a peek behind the
proverbial curtain at the park, to see how things worked
from a business and operational standpoint.
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
036 JUNE 2019
TOP WAYS
TO ACHIEVE
STELLAR CX 3
Jeff James agreed to share the Disney Institute’s wide-ranging
insights in offering top-notch CX. They are:
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“First, you should have an organisational common purpose, a succinct
explanation of what you want the CX to be at the emotional level. This
is the foundation on which all service decisions and desired behaviours
can be developed. For employees, this represents what you stand for and
why you exist, and it’s the primary tool for getting everyone on the same
page to display specific behaviours. Leadership plays a critical role.
Leaders must align their behaviours to consistently uphold the common
purpose, serving as a role model for everyone in the organisation.”
“Next, you need to understand your customers holistically. Your
knowledge of the customer must extend beyond traditional service
criteria. You need to create a consistent process to gather
customer feedback and truly listen to what they have to say.”
“You must view exceptional service as an economic asset,
rather than an expense. The return on investment
associated with lifetime customer relationships can
more than justify the short-term costs associated
with designing and delivering exceptional
service experiences.”
“Our team travels the globe to deliver
training and advisory services”
Today the Disney Institute focuses on delivering its
services to business leaders, professionals, companies
and organisations around the world by offering them the
opportunity to learn how Disney delivers an exceptional
customer experience (CX) in its parks and resorts
through employee engagement, quality service, and
business and leadership excellence.
Currently headquartered in Celebration, Florida – an
idyllic, masterplanned community just a few miles from
the Magic Kingdom itself – the Disney Institute’s reach,
like that of the Disney brand, is global, with regional
offices in California and as far away as Hong Kong.
“Our team travels the globe to deliver training and
advisory services to companies and organisations at their
home-office headquarters, satellite offices, retail locations,
sporting and entertainment venues, etc,” says Jeff James,
longtime vice president and general manager of the
Disney Institute. “On any given day we might have
DISNEY I NTER V IEW
LEFT: WESTJET’S DISNEY FROZENTHEMED
B737 FROM 2015.
PHOTO: MCARTHUR
BELOW: JEFF JAMES SHARING
HIS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
EXPERTISE AT A DISNEY SUMMIT
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