Mickey mouse customer service. (Feature).

A former Walt Disney World Co. trainer explains: how your financial institution can achieve lasting customer service excellence by emulating the Magic Kingdom's ingrained corporate culture.

"Now it's time to say hello, To al our customer, MIC... See you at the bank! KEY... Why? because we like you! MOUSE

Many financial institutions today are focusing on customer service as their competitive differentiator. They are finding out, however, that creating and sustaining a corporate culture of service excellence is not easy: Service excellence is more than smiling employees who make eye contact with customers.

There is no shortage of vision statements, service strategy formations and service program roll-outs. It is in the execution of these initiatives that organizations often come up short. The virtues of customer service have been preached for years, but the results of all that sermonizing have been unimpressive. Why? The main is that reason that most banks and financial service organizations want a "smile pill" that can be taken with little or no disruption to the current routine. To truly generate lasting service improvement, however, the organization needs a top-down commitment to changing processes, behaviors and measurements.

Demonstrate a commitment

To execute a vision or strategy effectively, leaders must be committed in the long-term. Employees at all levels are watching to see how pledged to the cause their leaders are. Glues to commitment include:

* What does my manager spend most of her/his time talking about?

* What do our meetings focus on?

* What does my manager hold me accountable for?

* What gets rewarded and recognized?

* How well does my manager "walk the talk" when it comes to providing excellent service?

There are three key leadership behaviors that will demonstrate commitment to executing a service improvement strategy:

1. Walk the talk.

Before employees take personal responsibility for a commitment to excellence, they must see that their leadership team is committed. If, for example, you expect employees to promptly acknowledge customers entering a bank branch, it is vital that you do the same. If you expect employees to pay attention to detail, then picking up a piece of trash off the floor as soon as you see it will have more impact than anything you put in a policy manual.

A recent article in the Orlando Sentinel highlighted Erin Wallace, vice president of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Part of the story emphasized that whenever Erin walks the park she carries and uses a "nabbie grabber," which is a device custodians use to pick up cigarette butts off the ground. Imagine the impact this has on Disney "cast members" (which all Disney employees are called). Cast members are reminded that it is everyone's job to keep the park clean. It also reinforces one of Disney World's key values--attention to detail. If, however, Em were to simply walk by a piece of trash and not pick it up, cast members would quickly get the idea that 'attention to detail" is simply a catchphrase, not a true value.

A clear example of walking the talk with respect to service is the willingness to put service support systems in place. Support systems demonstrate that you are prepared to back up the talk with resources. Southwest Airlines, for example, is noted as a service leader. Company managers constantly preach the value of excellent service. They don't just talk about it, however. Southwest is the industry standard when it comes to flight turnaround time: 20 minutes. They are currently working on a new jetway system that will improve turnaround time to 15 minutes. If you watch the Southwest ground crew in action when a plane arrives, you'll see that it resembles a race car pit crew. Everything is ready to go into motion as soon as the plane stops. The new jetway will allow employees to unload and load the plane from the front and rear doors simultaneously, dramatically improving the efficiency of the process. It is clear that the leadership team doesn't simply tell the staff to be friendly. They put systems in place that enhance the ability of their personnel to provide outstanding service. The message is a powerful one. Is it any wonder that Southwest Airlines has the lowest employee turnover in the industry (as well as the highest profitability)?

2. Keep the vision in front of the team.

It is not enough to state the message of service excellence once and expect that behaviors will magically change. Research shows that repetition is the key to altering behavior. Use all of the communication vehicles available to you to stress the importance of customer service. For example, make it your policy to start every meeting with a customer service item--either a story, a problem/challenge facing the team or a discussion of service measurement data. Employees will understand that these discussions are part of the normal course of business and will, over time, begin participating in the discussions.

Use your internal newsletter to communicate your service commitment. More importantly, use the newsletter to tell stories of excellent service. Share specific stories of employee actions that result in exceptional service. Send articles about customer service to the team with a note highiighting how the information pertains to your business. Ensure that all areas are displaying service measurement information in behindthe-scenes areas and that the information is kept up-to-date. Nothing screams "program of the month" louder than data that hasn't been changed for months. World-class service providers keep their employees constantly up-to-date on what customers are thinking about their performance. This data is not buried in some executive's drawer!

Most importantly, be creative about the communication mechanisms used for keeping the vision in front of the team. Every training program, every celebration, every event, every job interview should stress the importance of service excellence as a part of your bank's culture.

3. Hold employees accountable for service excellence

Leaders must ensure that accountability processes are built into any service improvement initiative. Look at your performance appraisal system. Do appraisals for both management and frontline employees emphasize specific customer service behaviors? How much is customer service emphasized in the appraisal' Is it a single rating point among 30 items, or is it clear that service is a priority? What about other internal documents that communicate expectations of employees? Is service quality represented as a priority?

It is vital that you become a customer service coach. Whenever you see opportunities for improvement for any employee, take the time to coach. If you do this consistently, word will spread faster than you can imagine. If, for example, you notice an employee displaying negative physical posture or using a bored tone of voice on the telephone, taking a moment to correct the behavior and stressing why it is important to present a welcoming image is more effective in changing behavior than any training program. The immediacy of the feedback is the key. Often leaders do not do this because they are concerned about offending the employee, or there is simply a reluctance to confront negative behavior. But holding employees (at all levels) accountable for service excellence is vital if you are serious about service improvement.

When I was a relatively new supervisor at Walt Disney World, I received a call to meet then Walt Disney World Vice President Bob Matheison at a specific location on Main Street USA. As I walked up to Bob, I saw that he was staring at one of the merchandise shops. I knew from his expression this was not going to be a pat on the back for a job well done. "What do you see?" he asked. I saw that a small pane of glass had been replaced, and that the installer had neglected to take the protective paper backing off of the glass. Although I did not install the glass, it was my job as supervisor to make sure that Main Street USA was "show ready" by the time the guests arrived. I missed this particular item. Bob's simple act of holding me accountable for a small detail had a huge impact on the future of my attention to detail during my regular walks of the Magic Kingdom. Bob wasn't rude about the situation and he didn't embarrass me. He did, however, make it clear that I was accountable.

Of course, the other side of the accountability coin is also important. The Gallup organization has conducted significant research regarding the reasons for employee "defection." Gallup found that one of the main reasons for defection is a lack of recognition for good work. Whenever you observe an employee providing excellent service, take the time to reinforce the behavior through immediate recognition. Recognition can simply take the form of a positive comment or something greater, if appropriate. Again, immediacy is the key. Taking the time to immediately reinforce the behavior greatly increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated. Recognizing those who deliver excellent service is one of the most powerful things that you can do as a leader!

Watch the magic happen

A favorite example of "inculturating" service excellence involves a housekeeper at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort A family was at dinner and the housekeeper was conducting the room turndown service. As she prepared the beds and did the general cleanup, she noticed that the children had several stuffed Disney characters around the room. Taking an extra few seconds, she arranged the characters on the children's pillows, tucked them in and left a note saying, "I know you had a busy day! The characters were tired so I tucked them in for you." She then signed her name, Helen. Imagine the impact on this family when they returned to the room. Leadership seized upon this story of doing small things that make a big difference and told this story in so many meetings that it became legendary at Disney World. Other housekeepers have come up with creative ideas such as lining up the stuffed characters in front of the TV and turning it on. Some housekeepers will arrange the characters on a table with playing cards in their hands or with milk and cookies. Guests consistently write complimentary notes regarding this activity. Imagine the loss if leadership did not recognize this behavior, communicate it and reinforce it.

As a leader, you are looked upon as a role model of the organization's commitment to customer service. Employees take their cue directly from you. They watch how you treat customers, listen to how you talk about customers, and observe what you demonstrate is important through how you spend your time. By walking the talk, keeping the vision constantly in front of employees and holding everyone accountable for performance, you make service excellence become part of the organization's culture--creating a culture of service excellence. Most people want to do their best They just need encouragement and reinforcement Watch the magic happen!

HOW USEFUL WAS THIS ARTICLE?

Please use the postage-free Reader Opinion Card provided In this issue or Leave a message at [phone]. You can also send comments by e-mail to [e-mail].

RELATED ARTICLE: Sidebar

Want Learn More?

Dennis Snow will discuss further how financial institutions can achieve service excellence during his appearance at ABA Marketing Conference, Sept. 22-24, Loes Miami Beach Hotel, South Beach, Fla.

Snow spent 20 years with The Walt Disney World Co., ending up as a teacher of corporate philosophy and business practices to Disney employees (referred to as "cast members").

For information about attending the ABA Marketing Conference, telephone (800) BANKERS or access www.aba.com.

Dennis Snow is a speaker, trainer and consultant who helps organizations in the areas of customer service, sales, employee development and leadership. His company, Snow & Associates, is located in Orlando, Fla. He can he telephoned at [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]