Consumer Bankruptcy Journal Fall 2014 | Page 6

Customer Service

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2) Treat Me as an Individual

Treat me as an individual by focusing on my problem and helping me to solve it based on my unique situation. Work hard to understand me emotionally.

3) Respect Me

Respect me no matter what my race, religion, color, creed, level of education, disability, language fluency, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or wealth

4) Be Knowledgeable and Have Knowledgeable Employees.

Make sure you and all of your employees are knowledgeable to a high level from the receptionist to the attorney. Offer alternatives and be able to explain legal details in a way employees can understand them. Offer your best advice on what you recommend.

Dan LaBert: While the concept of customer service for law firms is slowly catching on, the validity of implementing integrated customer service techniques and technologies is well proven, especially at Walt Disney World. Could you offer our readers an example of a time when superior customer service overruled superior profit?

Lee Cockerell: At Disney, every decision we make is focused on how this will affect our guests. We use the Three Legged Stool model for making decisions.

We always think through the impact on the guest, the cast (employees) and the financial results and then we make the best decision we can. The key is to always include these three in your evaluation before you make a decision. A small example is to go with a voice tree automatic phone system to save money or have a live person answer the phone. We would go with the live person because the public is sick and tired of phone trees.

Dan LaBert: How do you know if your organization provides great customer service?

Lee Cockerell: At Disney World, we interview over two million guests a year in various ways including internet, face to face at the check in and check out and even at the entrance and exit to the parks or when they are getting on or off a ride or buying an ice cream cone. We always know how we are doing and we correct short comings very quickly. We continually (daily) remind every single employee that they own the customer experience even if they are in landscaping, cleaning bathrooms or in face to face positions that serve the customer directly or even by phone. Role modeling by leaders is vital.