A touch of Disney’s magic in veterinary customer service

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When a problem arises, the natural instinct is to search for solutions from trusted sources and implement changes for improvement. So, when Adam Christman, DVM, MBA and chief veterinary officer for dvm360®, sought a model for improving internal customer service in a veterinary practice, he turned to one of his true passions, Disney, and took inspiration from the company’s successful theme park experiences.

At the 2022 Fetch dvm360® Conference in San Diego, California, Christman’s talk, “Be Our Guest! Implementing the Magic of Customer Service into Practice,” opened with a powerful and musically uplifting promotional video filled with images of people smiling and enjoying themselves at one of the Disney theme parks.

“There are a lot of moving parts that make magic happen to develop customer service consistently,” Christman explained. He shared a photo of himself from a past visit to Disney World standing next to a Disney greeter who had worked at the theme park for over 65 years. “He greeted every guest at the resort. He was touted as ‘The Mayor’ and remembered everyone’s name. Unfortunately, he passed away last year and it was a very big hit to Disney World because this man made magic happen.”

Asking conference session audience members how Disney makes them feel, Christman seized words such as “magic,” “happy,” and “nostalgic.”

“How do they do this all the time? Why choose Disney for our profession?” Christman asked attendees. ‘Dr. Christman, we put animals to sleep. We deal with emergencies. There’s no happiness in that.’ But it’s all about the delivery and how we make them feel, putting their minds at ease.”

Christman, who studied Disney’s customer service plan during his MBA program, said that Disney’s cast members are the ones who elevate it and he often credits those who prepare them. He stated, “In areas where cast members indicate they receive effective coaching and feedback, guests perceive that cast members enjoy making guests happy. In areas where cast members feel they have the authority to make and implement decisions, guests have a higher opinion of their overall experience.”

He shares 4 of Disney’s quality standards — courtesy, efficiency, safety, and show — and elements of its culture ranging from innovation, technology, and high-quality standards across all product categories to strong storytelling. Disney also incorporates an employee rewards program for providing excellent service.

“Disney has consistent direction,” Christman says. “They know where they are going, they’re very transparent with all of their cast members, they know exactly what their goals are. They have a culture of mutual respect and trust. It’s huge there.”

Christman wants veterinary professionals and offices to ponder their own improvement. Name your hospital’s weakest component — setting, clients, your staff, or the process? More than one? Know that your internal customer service contributes to differentiating your hospital from others as an employer of choice. Pay just as much attention to internal customer service as you do with external customer service. Understand 3 components of guestology: Know when you’re on stage; seek out interactions; and rethink where the magic begins.

And, finally, everyone at Disney is a VIP. With this idea, Christman mentions veterinary VIP possibilities, big and small, including: DNA testing, vaccination protocols, liquid biopsy testing, anticipating client needs, stickers of pet’s breed on Rx bags, and handwritten get-well cards.