In the year 2018, I visited the Disney Park at Los Angeles during the vacations with my family. We were staying at their hotel within the park itself for a night, just so that we could enjoy the most number of rides during our time there. It sure was a packed day, and my children were extremely excited!
Around afternoon, fatigue got the better of us, and we were catching a breath on the benches by the main fountain. Moved by our condition, perhaps, a housekeeping staff member approached us, and offered us advice on which rides to take next and how to make the best use of all our time at the park without overwhelming ourselves.
It was not a part of his ‘KRA’ to assist guests at the park, and yet he unhesitatingly did it!
This is what makes Disney Parks all over the world the most visited and the most popular tourist parks, for all age groups. The management at the company trains everyone in the team to create memorable experiences for the visitors. It is a cultural value ingrained and expressed freely from top to bottom.
A Harvard Business School case study found out that during the November 2008 terrorist attacks on Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai, all of the hotel employees displayed utmost bravery and courage, bearing personal losses to protect and safely evacuate the guests of the hotel. The study reported that the telephone exchange staff of the hotel returned to work, even after their shift had ended, so that they could guide the occupants to areas of safety and share safety instructions covertly, through the internal communication system. Another unbelievable finding of the research was that none of the hotel staff left the hotel when it was under the attack, even when everyone was well aware of the secret exits and passages.
So, what compelled these employees, many of whom were below 30 years of age, to display such bravado in face of terror?
It was revealed that these employees were hired for qualities of their intrinsic personality rather than for their scores or degrees. Also, all the employees of the hotel chain underwent intensive training to learn that their guests are actually the reflection of the divine. They were guided to become the representatives of the hotel guests and extract optimum services from the hotel’s management. Again, it is a cultural value ingrained and expressed freely from top to bottom.
One would argue that both the above examples are from the hospitality industry, therefore, customer experience and such activities find more relevance in this industry. But, I would like to remind here, that even Amazon believes in placing the customer first. Jeff Bezos’ famous letters to employees and stakeholders clearly highlight customer service and experience as the cornerstone of the organisation.
Thus, customer relationship management is that one value that determines to a great extent the success and growth of a business. Since, it is a value and not just an activity, it should not only be restricted to one particular department within an organisation, rather it should be adopted as a universal culture of the company. Additionally, the highest level of management must expressly state and demonstrate its commitment towards a strong relationship with all its customers at all times, And this is how customer experience becomes a part of the culture, and the reason for growth and expansion.
Link to the video: