How the Secondary Guest Can Make or Break Your Business

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.

17