{"id":399,"date":"2015-05-12T14:50:04","date_gmt":"2015-05-12T18:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.torrid-tech.com\/community\/?p=399"},"modified":"2015-05-12T14:50:04","modified_gmt":"2015-05-12T18:50:04","slug":"whos-up-for-a-disney-cruise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.torrid-tech.com\/community\/index.php\/whos-up-for-a-disney-cruise\/","title":{"rendered":"Who’s Up For A Disney Cruise?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disney<\/strong>…<\/span><\/h2>\n

What does that name mean to you?\u00a0Mickey Mouse?\u00a0\u00a0Trips to Disney World?\u00a0\u00a0 Animated films?\u00a0\u00a0I could write a long list of Disney characters, themes, and movies, but I wanted to share with you another aspect of Disney – some of the business lessons you can learn from Disney. \u00a0First, Disney is known for its great attention to small details<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0It is reported that even Walt himself would pick up a piece of trash if he noticed it in one of the parks.\u00a0\u00a0Having been to the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom in Orlando, I can certainly vouch for how clean the place is. \u00a0Now the crowds that’s another matter.<\/p>\n

I was blessed to take my wife and two youngest boys on a Disney Cruise this past Spring Break. \u00a0The cruise line continues Disney’s reputation for handling small details and having great customer service. \u00a0We had been on a Disney Cruise before but this time I noticed some of the signs on the ship. \u00a0I have included pictures of a couple below.\u00a0\u00a0These could be very generic “Hamburger Grill” like signs.\u00a0But notice they incorporate their branding<\/strong><\/span>. \u00a0They incorporate a character. \u00a0They make a dumb old sign look almost fun.<\/p>\n

Do you ever think “luxury” when you think of Disney?\u00a0\u00a0We didn’t splurge on a fancy room, but we did sign up to use what they call the \u201cRainforest Room” in the spa. \u00a0You can go there and use the sauna, steam room, and various Rainforest showers. \u00a0You then can relax on hot stone lounges while looking out at the ocean by two hot tubs. \u00a0They claimed they only sold approximately 37 of these, which\u00a0I found\u00a0 hard to believe until we were actually there and rarely saw anyone using it.\u00a0 In business, this package is called an “upsell”<\/span><\/strong>-something additional you can offer already captive customers.<\/p>\n

Another upsell occurs if you want to dine in the fancy “Pollo’s” Italian restaurant. \u00a0You have to pay an extra fee to do that, and once there you are offered additional upsells of wine as well as an optional tasting menu. The food at the restaurant was pretty incredible considering we were on a cruise ship!<\/p>\n

The cruise line stops at Disney’s own private island called “Castaway Cay” off the Bahamas. \u00a0You can take snorkeling trips, enjoy the beach, and generally relax along with 5000 of your closest friends from the ship.\u00a0\u00a0Since our teenage boys were in their own group, my wife and I headed for the \u201cgrown-ups beach” where you can totally relax without any of the crowds. \u00a0The people working the ship and the island were all so friendly, prompt, and eager to please, including my new best friend – Jack Sparrow.<\/p>\n

We did have a snafu with our snorkeling trip. \u00a0We were scheduled to go snorkeling in the morning so we could relax for the rest of the day, but our trip time was cancelled. \u00a0They rebooked us for the afternoon but it just turned our day upside down. \u00a0Due of the new order of things and we lost an extra hour at the beach. \u00a0However, the Disney people knew of the trouble this had caused<\/span><\/strong> and sent a package of snacks and\u00a0a bottle of wine to our room because of the inconvenience it caused us.<\/p>\n

I could write a much longer piece about Disney, <\/strong>but for now I just wanted to share a few nuggets.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • In your business, pay attention to the details.\u00a0Have your people do the same.\u00a0Offer luxury upgrades and upsells when you can.<\/li>\n
  • Incorporate your branding in fun and creative ways.<\/li>\n
  • And if you ever have a “client snafu” consider a small note or gift to make up for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    By Tim Turner- CEO of Torrid Technologies\n\t\t