Got Service?

Service should be treated diligently at all organizations … not as an afterthought, but as a forethought.

If you’d like to skip to the meat of this article, refer to the closing remarks and reflections on how service should be treated at all organizations. For an insightful and entertaining reflection on what motivated this article, then proceed from here!

This past weekend, my girlfriend and I spent a day at Universal Orlando, which is partially comprised of Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, and CityWalk. We enjoyed the rollercoasters, the characters in costume, and all the delicious food we consumed throughout the day. The weather was perfect – frequent breezes and a slight overcast throughout the entire day. A scheduled Harry Potter event spread magic and joy throughout both parks, as we observed enthusiastic Harry Potter fans celebrate their passion for the iconic series. Everything about the day was perfect – the rides, the characters, the food, the weather, the Harry Potter fans, and of course, the invaluable time I got to spend with my beautiful girlfriend.

By now, I’ve already forgotten the wind that blew through my hair as I rode the Hulk. I’ve already forgotten the delicious burger and sweet potato fries I inhaled at the Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar. I’ve already forgotten those Harry Potter fans who screamed in agony when they dropped their cups of Butterbeer. However, there are two things I won’t forget: 1) how beautiful my girlfriend looked, and 2) the smiles and level of help I received from every Universal Orlando teammate I encountered throughout the day (in other words, the SERVICE I experienced). Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I guess I’ll focus on #1 at a later date. As such, let’s focus on the service component of my Universal Orlando trip – the component that will have a lasting impact on me, and the only component that truly made the day perfect. Service should never be underlooked, undervalued, or unappreciated, both from a businesses and personal consumer perspective.

At the beginning of the day, my girlfriend and I received our tickets from one of the ticket kiosks. Some of the kiosks were malfunctioning, and there were several customer service representatives printing out tickets to mitigate the traffic flow and resulting wait time. Our kiosk operated normally and provided us with our tickets, yet I couldn’t help but observe the smiles and pleasantries that the customer service representatives shared with those who were less fortunate in maneuvering the kiosks.

Once we received our tickets, we proceeded to wait in line to acquire fast passes (which were EXTREMELY helpful in allowing my girlfriend and me to access all of our desired rollercoasters with minimized wait times). As we acquired our fast passes, I jokingly asked the customer service representative if we could get a two-for-one deal. We all laughed it off, engaged in small talk afterwards, and went on our merry way into the park. Of course, I wasn’t able to convince the representative of a two-for-one deal, but I was able to share a smile and discussion with him that placed me in a positive state of mind for the start of the day’s adventures.

After the first couple rides, I grew thirsty and opted to purchase a renewable drinking cup that I could refill throughout the day, without additional charge after the initial purchase. The cashier who provided me with the cup displayed a genuine, cheerful smile and made jovial conversation with me and my girlfriend. Being my predictable self, I gave the same two-for-one joke to this cashier with the same response as before – a generous laugh, more conversation, and an authentic “have a great day!”

As my girlfriend and I shared the same cup, we required frequent refills in between the rides. We initially struggled to even drink from the cup, since the straw dispenser, located in front of the cashier, distributed straws that were significantly smaller than the cup required. I figured it was a minor inconvenience I could easily manage. As I approached a food vendor to refill my cup with a decadent, refreshing ICEE, the vendor chuckled a little and asked if I wanted to take the straw out of my cup! Upon inspecting the cup, there was a long, wide, bendy straw that had been situated at the bottom of the container … which I had completely missed earlier! The vendor smiled, provided me with the ICEE, and we continued to chat about the revelation she sparked by uncovering the case of the missing straw!

And let me tell you – drinking through the proper straw definitely made the ICEE, and the consequent drinks, that much better. It’s the little things that make all the difference. Anyway, with the straw revelation behind me, I just couldn’t wait to ride some more coasters. I was so overzealous that, at one point, I misplaced the fast passes and couldn’t find them. But not to fear! After I realized I lost the fast passes, I asked a line attendant how I could acquire new ones. She chuckled, reassured me that this type of thing happened all the time, and directed me to a customer service center, located nearby, that would print off new fast passes, free of charge.

The line attendant was right! Just a few paces away, I informed the customer service representative of my predicament, and the representative happily printed out new passes in a matter of minutes! All the while making small talk and asking how our day was going. Needless to say, I was now in a much better mood than I was five minutes prior – both in terms of reclaiming my fast passes and rejuvenating myself with another pleasant interaction.

After a while, my girlfriend grew hungry and asked if we could have lunch at CityWalk. Since I’m always in the mood for food, I quickly agreed. We made our way over to the Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar.  From the hostesses to the waiter, we were greeted with kind faces and high levels of energy that reinvigorated me. Our waiter was unusually friendly, quite funny, and really connected with me in brief conversation when he served us throughout the meal. He could tell by my excitement over my burger that I was loving life, and he had no qualms about sharing his own passion for food and his preferred burgers – what a great time!

After lunch, my girlfriend and I returned to the parks and hopped on some more rides. Every time we finished a ride, at least two crew members smiled at all the riders and waved to us as we exited the ride. Without fail, I experienced this type of follow-up courtesy after every ride.

Towards the end of the day, I wanted my girlfriend to experience the Harry Potter train that connected Universal Studios with Islands of Adventure. Right before we were admitted on the ride, we sparked up a conversation with the line attendant. And let me just say … this line attendant was passionate about Harry Potter! He informed me of how he had taken an eight-hour course on learning all the Harry Potter vernacular to ensure that he would serve as a great host for the Harry Potter train. His face lit up as he explained his passion for Harry Potter, and how grateful he was for the chance to share his passion on a daily basis. How refreshing! His passion definitely transferred to me and reenergized me after a long day.

The line attendant handed me over to another gentleman who was distributing passengers to different rows in the wait area, in anticipation of the incoming train. Soon-to-be-passengers gleefully waited in their assigned rows until the impending train came to a halt. Unfortunately for my girlfriend and me, we were misallocated and ended up missing out on the incoming train ride. Bummer, right? Not so much! Turns out a few other passengers had been misallocated, so we were all herded together to wait for the next train. One of the passenger attendants personally apologized to us for the error, and continued to engage us in conversation, asking how we were enjoying the day and if she could provide any recommendations on what things to see before the park closed. What a great opportunity she provided for us to reflect on such a wonderful day, and a last chance to capitalize on some of her exclusive recommendations to finish the day even stronger!

Once my girlfriend and I rode the train and landed in Islands of Adventure, we were immersed in a large crowd of people who were waiting to watch the lights show in Harry Potter world. My girlfriend and I initially had no idea that the Harry Potter event had been scheduled, and quite frankly, we weren’t much interested in joining the Harry Potter festivities. As we maneuvered our way through the crowd to make our way out of the park, we followed the directions of park workers who were diverging traffic appropriately, which ultimately made it much easier for me to exit the crowd and for the crowd to manage itself as it anticipated the light show. These traffic controllers were clear in their directions, effective in their traffic flow control, and wished us a nice night as we passed by.

Once my girlfriend and I exited Islands of Adventure, we stopped by a confectionery, where we bought unbelievably delicious caramelized popcorn. I was craving some fudge, and to my horror, could not find any fudge in that confectionary. When I approached the cashier and asked her about the confectionery’s clearly misguided product offerings, she laughed and warmly told me where I could find fudge inside the park. She informed me that the parks were open for another 30 minutes, and that if I went back into the parks, I wouldn’t regret the extra walk for my fudge! That may not have been the answer I wanted, but the cashier treated me well and provided a feasible solution for my fudge crisis.

Lastly, right before exiting CityWalk for the day, my girlfriend purchased some popcorn from a food vendor outside the parks (because caramelized popcorn isn’t enough). It was the end of a long day, and I’m sure the cashier had been standing for well over eight hours at this point. And yet, with nothing but a smile on her face and a hearty chuckle after observing my girlfriend’s excitement over fresh popcorn, she wished us an amazing night and hoped that we had enjoyed the day.

My answer? I internalized my answer, but of course I enjoyed the day! The rides, the food, and my girlfriend … how could I not enjoy the day? I was on cloud nine! Clearly Universal Orlando provided a quality experience unmatched by so many other consumer-oriented brands.

As I traveled back to Gainesville after the weekend ended, I reflected on the internal answer that the cashier had sparked inside of me. I had actually forgotten what I was thinking when I responded to the cashier’s question, because I couldn’t recall the rides or the food as well as I had been able to recall them just 24 hours prior. As I reflected on my drive back, all I could see were faces. The faces of the cashiers who smiled at me and laughed with me. The faces of the line attendants who brought life and energy to me throughout the day, every time they smiled or waved at me as I exited the coasters. The giggling face of my vendor who discovered the straw … the cheerful face of the line attendant who was proud to show off his Harry Potter knowledge.

The experience wasn’t extraordinary because of the rides or the food. Granted, the rides and the food were thrilling and exquisite, respectively, yet they weren’t the reasons why the day was so enjoyable. The continued and consistent level of customer service I received was the sole explanation for the delight I experienced that day (and the quality time with my girlfriend, of course). Every Universal Orlando teammate I encountered provided me with top-notch quality service, not as a forced job responsibility, but as an extension of the teammate’s personality and kindness.

The simplest smiles, the shortest conversations, and the briefest waves throughout the day completely overwhelmed me by reenergizing me, placing me in a continually positive state of mind, and providing me with a sense of worth as I was treated so warmly by everyone with whom I interacted.

Customer service cannot be faked. Customer service is not a grand idea that will automatically change an organization. Customer service is rooted in the daily, small interactions that employees have with customers, clients, and other businesses. Service is a basic principle that changes an organization because it is just that – basic! It is something that every employer and employee can integrate into their thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. The little things add up, over time, applied consistently and universally throughout an organization, and truly drive change, growth, and impact for any organization that embraces service as its mission, as opposed to a lifeless value placed on a company’s statement of values.

Thank you, Universal Orlando. For reminding me how service should be treated at all organizations … not as an afterthought, but as a forethought. I look forward to many more smiles, conversations, and energy exchanges as I visit your parks and CityWalk in the future.

Service should be treated diligently at all organizations … not as an afterthought, but as a forethought.