Empowering Your Employees -- What United Can Learn From Disney

As the United Airlines story continues to be the gift that keeps on giving, I can’t help but be reminded of countless meetings and discussions with clients, and the inevitable question that arises: When you think of the best customer service, what brand comes to mind?

My answer is always the same: Disney. I usually wait for others to respond, but I always make sure that Disney is included in the discussion list. And the why, for me, is personal and proves an important point.

My son was 5 at the time. It was our first trip to Disney, and our last night at one of Disney’s signature hotels. Like most nights, we came back from dinner and walked the short distance to get some ice cream. On the way back, as my son studied the heaping mint chocolate chip cone as opposed to watching where he was going, he tripped and said mint chocolate chip fell to the ground in slow motion. NO!

Shockingly, my five-year-old took it like a champ. He was bummed he dropped the ice cream, but he didn’t have a complete melt down like anyone in his position was entitled to. He glumly made his way into the solarium, another ritual as kids and parents ended the day together watching a Disney movie on the big screen television. 

Not four minutes later, a woman from the hotel snack shop discreetly came up to my son with a small pack of Mint Chocolate Chip Dibs, and shared a smile and this encouragement, “Here you go big guy. No one should be without ice cream on Movie Night.” 

I don’t know if she saw the ice cream fall, or someone told her. Frankly I didn’t care. And as far as I’m concerned, they could have sold me right there on a repeat trip each year for the next five years. 

Disney employees – all of them – are empowered to deliver a magical experience… not just on Magic Mountain, not just when you meet Belle in the French section of Epcot, but throughout your entire experience with the brand. 

Other than offer up a voucher and a free hotel night, what else could United agents/employees have done to sweeten that deal, and ultimately avoid millions of negative social media mentions, memes and negative articles and a sorely damaged brand reputation? Ice cream always works for kids, and money is a pretty good incentive to encourage adults to wait till the morning for that trip to Louisville. The last count I read was $800 and a hotel voucher to give up a seat. What if a United employee, seeing the potential fall-out happening before their eyes, was able to up that offer to $1,250, or perhaps even $1,500? I’m pretty sure someone sitting on that plane would have appreciated some additional disposable income, and for a very small price, United would have avoided this mess entirely and perhaps even made a few people happy along the way.

If United employees were empowered like Disney employees, to make the customer’s experience overwhelmingly positive at all cost, this PR nightmare would have never happened and United would not be bleeding customers and brand reputation as we speak.