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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 63 alerted the eater on Main Street, and the passengers were led to the theater. Food-and-beverage staff had set up coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks and treats. Moments later, folks from Disney costuming arrived, and asked the ferryboat passengers, "May we give you clothes to wear while we wash and dry your clothing, or would you prefer to go to our clothing store on Main Street and buy new clothes?" Risk management arrived, and asked, "Did you lose your camera? How much was it worth? Do you want a check, or would you prefer to go to our camera store and get a new one?" Yes, all the passengers also received free tickets and hotel nights. And the barbershop quartet came and sang as more food and desserts were put out. And for the finale, Mickey and Minnie showed up to take photos with the passengers. Oh, and Disney also dispatched divers to the bottom of the bay to recover anything they could that might have been irreplaceable. Yes, add more magic wherever you can! e ferryboat driver screwed up. But if you had been on that boat that morning, what would you tell people about how Disney handled the situation? Most guests said "Wow!" and they all went home with an amazing story and more respect for Disney than they had before they got soaking wet on the ferryboat. So, what are the little things that often go wrong in your business? Sometimes go wrong? Could go wrong? Major disasters that could happen? Do you have a plan? Does your team know what to do? Can you turn those possibilities into "wow" moments and build stronger connections with your customers because you show them they can trust you when the chips are down? • WHAT GETS MEASURED IS WHAT GETS DONE. If you aren't measuring results and sharing them with your team, then nothing matters. People don't waste their time doing things that don't matter. Make sure everyone knows it matters and cares if it works. • CELEBRATE! Hold people accountable when they are not delivering results, but even more important, celebrate when team members are doing a great job. Applaud great customer comments. Track team progress. High-five great teamwork. I don't care how old or how sophisticated we are, we all appreciate a pat on the back and a thank you. is may be perhaps the most underutilized leadership tool to keep people motivated, caring and working together. • LET YOUR TEAM KNOW THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. A moment I will never forget at Disney was when I was working at my first job on the frontline at the Magic Kingdom ticket gate. It was hard work. Days were filled with excessive heat, shocking cold, pouring rain, people rushing at you, being bombarded with questions and sometimes being nearly run over as anxious guests rushed the entrance. As someone who had not yet worked my way up to the marketing/training position that I wanted, I have to say there were days I had a hard time being "nice" and remembering that my job was to make magic—no matter what! Disney had an employee newsletter called "Eyes and Ears." One day, when I was resting in the break room, I picked up the newsletter. On the cover, there was a letter from a Guest (the term Disney uses for its customers). As I read it, my eyes welled up with tears. It said this: To the Cast, What I want to say is this: In spite of the hectic lives you live, in spite of how bored you may become from doing the same work all the time, in spite of how the pressures weigh you down, in spite of how tempted you might be to "give it all up," when people you work with, people you work for and the public get to you, hang in there! What you do and who you are is a blessing to people from all over the world. You make the difference by helping us to remember, for one brief moment, hour or day, that life can be wonderful and that we can smile through the pain. When you are weary and discouraged, please remember that your gifts go around the world and lighten more hearts than you will ever know. Keep up the good work! Bless you all! A Guest from Whitinsville, Mass. To this day, I have this newsletter cover framed and hanging in my office. It has inspired me to keep going on the tough days and, even on the busiest days, to remember that someone would appreciate my help. And, most important, it still reminds me that I can make a difference to someone every day. Remind your team that, amid the toughest day of preparing arrangements and gifts, taking orders from a difficult customer, trying to fulfill a long list of orders, at the end of the day, they make a difference to someone every day. Walt Disney often said, "Do what you do so well that [customers] will want to see it again and bring their friends."

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