The Effective CIO

Love All, Serve All July 23, 2008

I recently recounted a great customer service experience with the Wall Street Journal.  Hard on the heels of this unexpected event, I had another great experience this past weekend at the Hard Rock Theme Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Could this be a trend?  Let’s hope so!

Unlike my single interaction with the Journal, my family’s entire day at the Hard Rock was exceptional.  As we arrived at the parking lot entrance to pay our $10 parking fee, the attendant took the time to explain the re-entry rules, welcomed us to the park, and exhorted us to “Rock On!” as we pulled away.  We laughed and drove on, our mood and attitude reinforced for a fun day.

Inside the park, every employee took time to ask us how we were doing.  Did we need help finding something?  Were we enjoying our day?  Did we know that a particular show was starting in a few moments?  From r

ide attendants to cashiers to janitorial staff, every single employee seemed to be taking a personal interest in our experience.  Although we were a bit surprised at first, we began to appreciate what a difference this attention made throughout the day.  It was wonderful!

I lived in Florida for fifteen years.  I’ve been to every variation of a theme park you can imagine, more times that I can count.  The service and approach by the Hard Rock staff was better than any other park I’ve attended, including the Disney properties.

Being a brand new park, the Hard Rock lacks the breadth of more established parks but makes up for its smaller scope with a wide range of different things to do.  Hands down, it has the best background music of any park you’ll attend.  The small touches and puns are everywhere, rewarding the discriminating rock and roll fan with something to smile about no matter where you look.  My favorite part: the same music plays everywhere at t

he same time, but in the reggae area, a synchronized version of the song is played on the steel drums.  I never thought I’d hear Livin’ On A Prayer on the steel drums, but thanks to the Hard Rock I can check that off my bucket list.

If you get the chance, take the time to visit the Hard Rock Theme Park.  Enjoy the music, have fun on the rides, and marvel at the customer service.  Then come home and see if you can get your staff to generate and sustain the same level of customer focus with your customers. Love all, serve all!