Happy Holidays to all this wonderful time of year. In celebration, I’m presenting two gifts this season: something old and something new.
Gift No. 1: An Old Letter
The first is a rare, commemorative letter written 52 years ago this month by a former American Airlines superintendent who shared his experience of visiting Disneyland. The letter is written to all of the terminal service personnel at LAX. You’ll appreciate it if you’re flying this weekend to visit family. The letter goes as follows:
American Airlines, Inc.
December 6, 1957
To: All Terminal Service Personnel
From: Superintendent-Terminal Service – LAX
Subject: Customer Service
“I recently broke down and finally agreed to take my family on an outing to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom—Disneyland. Many of you have already been there and, no doubt, have made the same observations that I am going to talk about, but I thought some of you might be interested in the marvelous reaction that my family received from this visit.
“…My two daughters, ages 3 and 5, made a beeline for Fantasyland and surprised me by heading for the cheapest ride in the park—a 10-cent whirl on King Arthur’s Carrousel. We noticed that every attendant was in immaculate uniform. They took charge of our kiddies at the entrance, placed them on their horses, strapped them on, and gave them a big reassuring smile. After they rode in circles for several minutes, the same attendants gave them another big smile, helped them down and gave each one a little pat on the back as they left. My oldest daughter made this comment, “I don’t want to ride on the merry-go-round at Redondo Beach anymore, daddy, because the man there isn’t as nice as that man.” Here is service having an impact on a 5-year old, but Walt Disney’s standards are high and 10 cents is still a piece of revenue.”
Mr. Schuch goes on to discuss an experience on Storybook Land as well as how clean the park is. He then concludes by saying:
“All of this might sound corny and it also might convey the thought I have a side line job as one of Disney’s public relations representatives. This, of course, is not true. His Magic Kingdom impressed us so much that I could not help comparing his operation with that of American Airlines. His standards of service must be extremely high. He must screen and re-screen every employee that applies for a job. There must be a constant inspection activity going on, otherwise, his domain would not present such an appearance or his employees would not offer such outstanding service.
“We were impressed—not just with the fantasy, the splashes of vivid color or the immensity of the operationl No—this didn’t impress us half as much as the things that are outlined above.
“We will all go back to Disneyland—the service is terrific.
O. A. Schuch”
Service today is defined somewhat differently then Mr. Schuch described it back in 1957. Still, the foundations are important. Whether it’s maintaining a great product, offering attentive service, or simply providing a smile. Those things don’t go away. That’s the experience Walt wanted to create. They are foundations that make Disneyland succeed. Indeed, they are the matters that make any organization succeed.
That’s a terrific letter that still has a message for us today.
Gift No. 2: An new App
The second gift I want to share with you is the announcement of my third iPhone and iPod touch app.
Disney at Work: Disneyland is my best work to date. It’s also the biggest app we’ve created. It has wonderful stories, whether you are trying to improve your own organization, or you simply love all things Disney. Here are some examples of what lies in store:
- Discover how Walt Disney walked the park in the shoes of both guests and cast members.
- Envision the power in how a Cast Member selling popcorn in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle can “Create Happiness.”
- Encounter Joe Fowler’s “can do” attitude that made many attractions at Disneyland a reality.
- Experience Disney’s service standards of safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency in the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
- Unleash how the creative efforts by Imagineers made attractions like Splash Mountain, Star Tours, and the Haunted Mansion come to life.
This app can be enjoyed beside a fireplace in wintry Omaha, or literally on the streets of Disneyland, if you have the good fortune to visit in the near future. It’s great either way.
Best of all! For the first 10 readers in the United States and Canada* who send me an e-mail here at this address:
jkober@performancejourneys.com
I will comp them a copy of my new Disneyland App! So please send me an e-mail right away with “American Airlines” in the header.
And as Jiminy Cricket would say, “From all of us to all of you, a very Merry Christmas!” And here’s to looking forward to a new year.
*Sorry, technical issues with iTunes keeps me from providing comp codes to those outside of the United States and Canada. My apologies.
