Service Prevention Department

One of our local banks just got a new ATM. This is big news in our small town. We only have two banks and they compete endlessly for our business.

The bank let the town know they had a new ATM by placing a sign on the main road stating "Come see our new ATM".

Not wanting to miss all the excitement, I decided to go see what the hub bub was all about.

I drove around the bank, parked and went in the vestibule as this was where the old ATM was. When I got in there, I was greeted by a brand new brick wall. The ATM was gone.

I went inside and asked "Where is this new ATM? There is only a wall outside."

The teller inside was all giddy with excitement, I thought she was going to wet her shorts. "It is outside on the other side of the teller window. IT"S A DRIVE THROUGH!" She said it with the enthusiasm of a crazed Beatles fan.

So I drove around the bank to go to the new drive through ATM. Only one problem, actually three of them. There were three cars in line waiting for the LIVE teller! I had to wait behind people who were not going to use the ATM before I could get near it.

What were the bank managers thinking??? They were certainly not thinking about customer service!

I mean, what knucklehead designed this? What nincompoop thought this was a good idea?

What does this have to do with your business? Everything!

How many places of business do we go to where the building or processes are for the benefit of the business and not the customer?

The service prevention department at this bank really won the day here.

How about you and your business? Do you have procedures, rules, regulations or physical structures preventing you from giving world class service?

Disney's Animal Kingdom had a vision when it opened. It would be a park all about “Adventure”. This seemed logical at the time. Let the guests have a true adventure. (Pleasure Island also seemed logical at the time it was built. Let's shove a few beers in sun-burnt-dehydrated-malnourished-exhausted guests and see what happens What could go wrong?). Anyway, there were no signs in the park telling you how to get anywhere. You would just “explore” your way around the park.

To make matters worse and even more confusing, the center of the park was called Safari Village. Again, guests would, ask cast members working in Safari Village where they could get on the safari. But the safari wasn’t in Safari Village. It was in the Africa section of the park.

None of it worked. Instead of feeling adventurous, guests felt confused, frustrated and angry.

Now, when Disney makes a mistake, they are the fastest in the world to learn from it. They actually listen to their guests. Guests felt confused, lost and irritated. And we all know that a confused, lost and irritated guest will NOT SPEND money.

So Disney listened and installed directional signs. And that Safari Village? It got renamed to Discovery Island. BOOM! Done.

Take the time now and review your business processes and building structure. Ask your team where the service prevention areas are. Once you have your list, do something about it.

Author of the book “Systematic Magic, 7 Magic Keys to Disnify Any Business”

For more on Disney Style Service and small business marketing or having Vance speak at your next event or meeting, check out the free special report "Systematic MAGIC, How to Disnify Any Business". Vance Morris is a Walt Disney World Resort Management Alumni, having spent 10 years as an executive in the Resorts. He runs the only Disney Service & Direct Response Marketing business on the planet. Here he coaches companies to create Disney Style Service Systems and then monetize them through direct response marketing. He is also the longest reigning GKIC Marketer of the Year. He can be reached at www.DeliverServiceNow.com or vance@deliverprofitsnow.com .

For speaking engagements, please visit www.vancemorris.com