Disney Coming to an Airport Near You?
Filed in archive Aviation Travel by Terah Shelton on October 11, 2007
Disney coming to an airport near you? Yes, it looks that way. In a effort to boast the level of customer service at the Miami International Airport, officials are asking the peppy Disney people for help.
If you've ever been to disneyworld
and Disneyland, you know that's one area that is not suffering. In fact, Disney is know for its exceptional customer service. They also provide training to many government agencies and organizations worldwide. Knowing this information, Miami International Airport was the first airport to enlist their services."The airport experience can be magic or tragic," says Bruce Jones, programming director for Disney Institute. "It boils down to how guests interact with your product."
So far, 400 Miami airport employees have attended classes. Sixteen airport tenants, including retail and food vendors, plus airlines and a few government agencies have sent some of their people as well.
What have they learned? "That while not everything that goes wrong at the airport is our fault, it is our problem," says Dickie Davis, the airport's Customer Service Division director. "So it's important to make a personal connection. If someone has lost their baggage, or can't find their gate or the parking garage and encounters an employee who's sympathetic and tries to help, it can take the edge off. It's all about manners and niceness and courtesy."
And perhaps a little bit about the outfits. Airport spokesman Greg Chin says travelers will be able to easily identify all those nice employees by their festive Florida-themed shirts with the airport's large palm tree logo on the back. "We're not a theme park," he says, "but we can take some of the Disney magic and put that here at the airport."
Miami International isn't the only airport trying to smooth out its image. Airports around the country are trying to ease the airport experience with amenities such as free Wi-FI, live music, artwork and, in Cleveland, better cab service into town.
Starting around Thanksgiving, cab drivers at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will become well-mannered "mobile ambassadors" for the airport and the city. Airport spokeswoman Pat Smith says there used to be a glut of cabs waiting outside the airport and "some drivers didn't really know their way around town." Others would pick and choose passengers according to their destinations.
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