How the Secondary Guest Can Make or Break Your Business
by Bruce Jones
W
Photos by DISNEY INSTITUTE www.disneyinstitute.com
hen Walt Disney started out as a young entrepreneur in the 1920s, he wasn’t sure where his fledgling business would take him and his brother, Roy. He just knew that he wanted
to entertain people of all ages. It was Walt’s focus beyond his core consumers (chil-
Fall 2010
dren) that truly sustained him and his company through good times and bad — a focus that remains the cornerstone of The Walt Disney Company today. 16
Customer Care News
Disney is renowned for its ability to surpass the expecta-
retail store and an employee is rude or dismissive to her child,
we like to call the “secondary guest” — someone who frequently
petition, she is more likely to simply leave, and possibly never
tions of children first and foremost, but it’s our focus on what
interacts with, or exerts influence over, a product but may not be considered a core consumer — that we believe sets us apart from
other entertainment companies. If you’ve ever been to a Disney theme park, taken a Disney cruise or sat through a Disney
Pixar film, then you know that our company is committed to entertaining people of ALL ages, everywhere.
Now, I know what you’re thinking — of course Disney can
entertain people of all ages, everywhere. They’re in the movie and theme park business! But the truth is, this concept works
in almost every industry. At Disney Institute we’ve helped clients integrate Disney’s best practices into health care, retail, food and beverage, and even manufacturing. Because the truth is, how you position and sell your product or service is just as
is she likely to make a purchase? With today’s increased comreturn. Now imagine that your employee strikes up a conversation with the child
and offers her a
few crayons and a coloring book to
Because the truth is, how you position and sell your product or service is just as important as what your business is selling.
play with while the
mother is shopping. In this case — with time to focus and
examine all you have to offer — mom probably makes that purchase. Even better, she comes back over and over again,
bringing her child every time. Her child, a daughter, comes to remember the store fondly. She may begin shopping there herself when she’s old enough.
Each year we receive thousands of guest letters that share
important as what your business is selling.
with us how a cast member went out of his or her way to make
Recognizing Your Secondary Guest
be back. In fact, we have quantified and correlated these inter-
Prior to the opening of Disneyland in 1955, theme parks
didn’t exist. Children went to carnivals, which were often scary
places with scary people and even scarier safety standards. They
everyone in the party feel special and because of that, they will actions with higher levels of intent to return and to recommend — key drivers of growth and profitability.
also weren’t much fun for adults. Walt dreamed of a place where
Putting it to Work
fun together.
apply the concepts we use at Disney because most of them cost
of the secondary guest — in this case, himself and his wife,
company’s mindset to make sure everyone — managers and
he, his wife Lillian and his two girls could have good, clean
Walt’s idea was an obvious success that led to the concept
Lillian. We continually work on this concept every day, always trying to find new ways to surprise and delight adults as well
as children. There are a variety of ways we do this, but nothing
The bottom line is that small business owners can easily
little to no money to implement. It’s really about adjusting the
employees — understand their role within the organization and treat everyone as a guest and a potential customer.
Every person who interacts with a business becomes
outweighs the impact of our employees, or cast members as we
an ambassador for his or her experience. If long-time
Cast members are trained to speak to guests, not at them.
children and grandchildren are also likely to become
call them at Disney.
For example, they bend down to speak to a child at his or her
level. This does two things: it makes the child feel important and involved, and it makes the parents happy because the child
patrons appreciate and value their experiences, then their loyal customers, who then refer friends, neighbors and business associates.
Disney continues to be successful with these strategies
feels special. Cast members are also trained to proactively seek
because we understand the importance of communicating and
trated. Days at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena
providing an unparalleled experience to your core and second-
out guest contact, especially with those who seem lost or frusVista, Fla., can be very long and exhausting. A cast member
who sees a crying child and a clearly anxious adult is encouraged to approach the child and suggest a game, or offer assis-
delivering value to all our guests. Exceeding expectations by ary guests will increase intent to return and to recommend, creating your own economic “circle of life.” CCN
tance in finding a cool place for the family to rest for a while.
Bruce Jones is programming director of Disney Institute, the
refresh so that the family can begin enjoying their day again.
Walt Disney Company. He can be reached at bruce.i.jones@
This simple gesture can help the child and the parents relax and
haps a child is the secondary guest. If a mother comes to your
www.customercarenews.com
Fall 2010
Now, think about this concept in your business, where per-
professional development and external training arm of The
disney.com. For more information on Disney Institute, please visit www.disneyinstitute.com.
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