Creating World Class Customer Service with Lee Cockerell

Welcome to the View from the Top podcast, Season 2. In today’s show, Aaron Walker interviews Lee Cockerel on the topic of creating world class customer service.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at viewfromthetop.com.

Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. “As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.”

One of Lee’s major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies which was used to train and develop the 7000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project.

Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of Heart of Florida United Way, the Board of Trustees for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the board of the Production and Operations Management Society and the board of Reptilia a Canadian attractions and entertainment company. In 2005 Governor Bush appointed Lee to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service for the state of Florida where he served as Chairman of the Board.

He is now dedicating his time to public speaking, authoring a book on leadership, management and service excellence titled, Creating Magic…10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. which is now available in 13 languages and his latest book, The Customer Rules…The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Lee also performs leadership and service excellence workshops and consulting for organizations around the world as well as for the Disney Institute.

Lee and his wife Priscilla live in Orlando Florida.

Show Highlights:

Lee’s challenging upbringing and how he ended up at Disney
How to double your salary and get fired in 90 days
Lee’s point of view on customer service and how he developed it
How Lee’s work experience prepared him to lead at Disney
Three steps to creating world class customer service
The one question Lee asked before making every decision at Disney
What Lee considered his hardest part of the job
Do you experience your product/service like your customers do?
Lee’s fitness journey and what it’s like to be in the “O-Zone”
Do this to get rid of regret, wishing, and hoping
Consider your circle of friends. Do you need to quit hanging out with anyone?
Do people trust you?

“You find out who your real friends are when you’re unemployed.”

-Lee Cockerell

Click HERE to listen to the full episode.

Resources:

For more information about Lee including his books and courses, please visit his website here.

The Customer Rules by Lee Cockerell

“Being nice only goes so far, you have to deliver.”

-Lee Cockerell

Take Action … Next Steps from the Show

Experience your product or service like one of your clients. Try to see your business through their eyes. Are you creating the experience you wish your customers would have?

After visiting your website, buying a product, or if you have a physical business - experiencing the actual location and staff share you ONE TAKEAWAY with me and Aaron on Twitter..

If you accept this challenge send us a note on Twitter to Aaron (@vftcoach) and Danny (@alienearbud) and use the hashtag #viewfromthetop