Riverside City Employees Learn “Lessons From the Mouse” on Delivering World-Class Customer Service, “Wow Moments”
Published: 5/24/2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 24, 2024
Contact:
Phil Pitchford
Public Information Officer
951-826-5975
Riverside City Employees Learn “Lessons From the Mouse” on Delivering World-Class Customer Service, “Wow Moments”
Dennis Snow, 20-year Disney executive, shares insights on creating best experience for customers
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Constant improvement, paired with a strong desire to create “wow moments” of world-class customer service, is the key to creating customer loyalty and should be the goal of every public-facing organization, be it an iconic entertainment company or a local government competing to attract residents and businesses.
That was the message for employees of the City of Riverside who received an intensive day of training, inspiration and coaching from Dennis Snow, a 20-year Disney executive and customer service expert. His company, Snow & Associates, helps organizations adopt the Disney mindset to improve customer service, employee development and leadership.
When people leave a Disney property, they are not thinking about how fun the rides were, Snow said. They are thinking about how the day made them feel, which is a direct result of employee behavior, and that commitment to customer service can be replicated everywhere.
“Customer service is at the core of everything we do, so it’s crucial to re-enforce good habits in our workforce while also introducing new areas for growth,” City Manager Mike Futrell said. “Dennis Snow’s message is on point and can help our employees ensure we are doing our best every day for residents and businesses in our city.”
Among the lessons:
- Customer service improves when employees work together to identify and remove obstacles embedded in existing processes.
- Find and remedy the obstacles that are keeping average customer service from being great and keeping great customer service from being world-class.
- Everything speaks! Your customers form lasting impressions of your organization from everything they hear, see, smell, taste or touch. Make sure your best foot is always forward.
- “Wow moments” are the pinnacle of customer service and can be achieved by employees without additional time or money if the mindset is there.
The training at the Riverside Convention Center was attended by employees from all City departments, City executive staff and department heads, as well as Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and City Council members. Employees also broke into groups to discuss how Snow’s lessons could be applied to their daily work.
Lock Dawson hosted a lunch panel of local business experts, who emphasized how customer service impacts where businesses choose to invest, and whether projects get built. There is a direct line between customer service and a city’s economic health, they said.
“Serving the public is an honor, and good customer service is the key to our City’s success,” Lock Dawson said. “While there are 100 ways to get to ‘no,’ excellent customer service means finding a way to get to ‘yes!’”
Snow is the author of Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life, as well as Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service.
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