Walt Disney Had It Right!

Here is what Walt Disney's had to say about positive guest services at his new theme park in 1955:

Some of the activities a Disney cast member (employee) cannot do while "on stage" at a Disney theme park.
Eat
Drink
Smoke
Sleep
Sit down
Chew gum
Lean against a wall or a railing,
Fold his or her arms.
Does this seem extreme? Of course it does. But when it comes to customer service, it makes perfect sense. Imagine how a potential guest would feel when walking up to a cast member doing one of the above no-nos.
Making sure the cast-member is courteous and efficient is key while "onstage" at a Disney theme park. It helps create a positive guest experience whenever a guest interacts with an employee.
"The first year (of Disneyland) I leased out the parking concession, brought in the usual security guards -- things like that -- but soon realized my mistake. I couldn't have outside help and still get over my idea of hospitality. So now we recruit and train every one of our employees. I tell the security police, for instance, that they are never to consider themselves cops. They are there to help people. The visitors are our guests. It's like running a fine restaurant. Once you get the policy going, it grows." -- Walt Disney
The cast members who follow these rules develop a sense of pride about their work. When these rules were first put in place, they quickly began to believe in the need to sacrifice their personal convenience in order to be part of something special. Guess what? It works!