Disney guidelines

Excerpts from Be our Guest: Perfecting the art of customer service
Disney Institute, Chapter 3, The Magic of Cast

Disney University has spent a good deal of time defining courtesy in action and exploring how courtesy contributes to a positive guest experience. The result of these efforts is embodied In a list of actions called performance tips, which every Walt Disney World employee learns.

Performance tips are a set of generic behaviors that ensure that cast members know how to act courteously and respect the individuality of each guest. While the phrase “performance tips” may sound relatively innocuous, these tips pack a punch. At Walt Disney World, they have been translated into a set of behavioral actions called Guidelines for Guest Service.

The guidelines are summarized in seven sentences and serve a variety of purposes. First, they define behavior in terms of the guests. They create a common baseline for interaction with guests and demonstrate the elements of performance that perpetuate courtesy. Second, the guidelines communicate employee responsibilities. They make the company’s expectations for service delivery clear to new cast members and they provide a basis for accountability. Fulfilling the performance guidelines is a condition of employment at Walt Disney World. Cast members who do not use them are subject to progressive disciplinary actions.

Walt Disney World Guidelines for Guest Service

• Make Eye Contact and Smile!
• Greet and Welcome Each and Every Guest
• Seek Out Guest Contact
• Provide Immediate Service Recovery
• Display Appropriate Body language at All Times
• Preserve the “Magical” Guest experience
• Thank Each and Every Guest