Disney Ambassadors - what do you expect?

[seobaina]

Hi guys

In my store I'm the disney store ambassador, which is basically a training program in the UK that any cast member can do but requires management appraisals, trivia quizzes, etc. It's supposed to recognise those cast members who represent the true spirit of 'Disney' when it comes to their store and their interactions with guests. On tues I have to give a small chat to my colleagues about what the ambassadors are to encourage them to strive to become one too. And it got me thinking...

I know what we as cast members expect an ambassador to be but what do you, as guests, expect? If you saw a cast member with a badge saying 'disney ambassador' how would you expect that cast member to act? What would sum up for you, a cm with true disney spirit?

Also, if anyone is interested, we're gonna be doing a really cool charity event in stores this christmas (which might interest pin traders too). If peeps are interested I'll sum it up for you.

Thanks
x

 

[emily1982]

Someone who is friendly and would go above and beyond to help a customer, when I go in our local store sometimes I go in just so i can have a 'Disney fix' and to remind me of Disney world, thats how it should be....no different to the stores on main street

 

[seobaina]

Thanks Emily

 

[Cyrano]

I often go into the Disney Store when I am in town, but do not buy anything as the merchandise does not appeal. Fine if you are a tween for Camp Rock, Hannah etc.

I think the staff in the Disney Store are on the whole always very attentive and friendly. Therefore an Ambassador would be someone who goes above the normal levels of service to ensure that the guest has an enjoyable experience, perhaps almost like have a personal shopper, would be knowledgable about all of the Disney portfollio.. films, parks, books, music etc

Hope the talk goes well

 

[Tinks1984]

As others have said, I'd most like to see the UK CM's be more enthusiastic about 'chatting' to guests (I understand at busier times this cannot always happen, as they're needed on tills etc). An example I'll use, I visited the Liverpool 1 store with a friend last month and we went to trade a pin with the CM in store. It wasn't too busy and we did our trading and he asked how we'd got interested in pin trading, so I explained my reasons.

We'd only been with him a couple of minutes when he began to get a little shifty, like he wasn't really suppose to be talking to us, and then he even mentioned that he'd better not stay too long, as his managers would see he wasn't 'working'. Well, I think he is working! He's interacting with guests, asking us questions and telling little stories. He even tried to quiz me on when the parks official openings were etc in Florida.

I quite enjoyed the little WDW chat with the CM and left the store afterwards feeling quite happy about chatting about Disney with someone who knows a little more about it. So, I'd ask the managers to try be a little easier on CM's (when the store isn't crazy busy!) and let them chat to guests and try and give them a little bit of 'Disney Magic' away from the main theme parks.

If you get what I mean??

 

[seobaina]

I totally get what you mean. I LOVE talking about the parks to guests, or about Disney as a whole. Our store is very high on guest service - in fact, we just won the 2009 country award for it last week - but there are times when you really wanna talk to a guest and just can't because you're on till and have a queue building to a mile long or you can see a fellow CM secretly trying to signal for help out of the corner of your eye, etc. Especially recently because we've been pretty short staffed and are normally doing about five jobs at once. However, I'm sorry the liverpool CM felt that way, there should be a better balance than that. I think sometimes managers have a lot of pressure on them and get stuck in some of the old practices and forget that Disney is trying to return to what it used to be in stores - an experience rather than a shop.

 

[wils]

I'd say enthusiasm for Disney and telling me something I might not know about a film due to come out or some new merchandise in the shop.

 

[karentan]

ooh can you tell us more about the charity event? i start work at the lakeside store tomorrow so may find out about it sooner or later anyway but i'd love to find out about it here!

 

[seobaina]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, very useful!

Karentan - welcome to the disney family Right, excuse the copy and paste here but I'd already told the pin traders.

I'm not sure the exact dates but I think it's in the next couple of weeks. It's either end of oct/beginning of Nov or end of Nov. Anyway, keep an eye out for big plush (teddy) christmas trees going up in the stores, that's your cue.

The trees are going to be filled with £15 disney plush - a mix of the characters that you can normally buy in store. For a £5 donation, you can 'purchase' one of those £15 teds for charity. The plush is then given to a child for Christmas at a local charity. For example, in Chester, our plush will be going to our local hospital and to a hospice. With me so far?

Well, as a 'thank you' for donating the plush you get two things. The first is a tag which you fill out to a child and tie back onto the tree (it'll be tied to a teddy when delivered because they'll pick which characters are best for the children - boys, girls, babies) and this is what the event is all about. I like the idea and will be doing it for my niece and nephew to remind them of kids less fortunate. BUT...the second thing you get is for you (or whoever you donate on behalf of) and it's a pack.

The pack is a beautiful softback book on the Christmas Carol (the new movie) and in the middle of it is a gorgous 'magic wishing star pin'. I've only seen the prototype but it's lovely. The pin is pretty much as it sounds, a large christmas star with something on it like 'magic wishing star, 2009' - sorry but I can't remember if it's gold or silver. They are hoping this will become an yearly event but for this year, as a test, they are going to donate a max of 20,000 plush - and therefore 20,000 pins. When they're gone, they are gone and I/we think they event will prob sell out in two weeks. Everyone at the meeting was talking about buying two or three themselves because of the charity angle alone.

It's hard to describe but I've seen the prototype and I'd pay more than £5 for that alone without hesitation and that is ignoring the fact that you're also donating to charity.

I hope I'm describing it well enough for you guys to get the idea and get excited about it too. Feel free to quiz me and I'll try to answer.

 

[Cyrano]

For a £5 donation, you can 'purchase' one of those £15 teds for charity. The plush is then given to a child for Christmas at a local charity. For example, in Chester, our plush will be going to our local hospital and to a hospice. With me so far?

So instead of buying one for £15 I could donate three at £5 each. I think this is an excellent idea

 

[seobaina]

So instead of buying one for £15 I could donate three at £5 each. I think this is an excellent idea

Basically, yep And in return you would still get the three pins/books to give to people or collect. I love the idea too, I am so excited about it

 

[TotallyAngelic]

HI
Thats a lovely idea - I will definitely be going into the Chester Disney Store at some time in November / early December to do some Xmas shopping and hopefully this will coincide with when this event is on - do you have dates?
Chester is my nearest Disney Store and I love going there - just stepping in off the street makes me feel so much happier - I usually just wander about aimlessly with a big smile on my face, and I love chatting to cast members!
I think the Disney Ambassador should bring the spirit of the theme parks into the store, and be able to do little things to make shopping there a magical experience.

 

[seobaina]

HI
Thats a lovely idea - I will definitely be going into the Chester Disney Store at some time in November / early December to do some Xmas shopping and hopefully this will coincide with when this event is on - do you have dates?
Chester is my nearest Disney Store and I love going there - just stepping in off the street makes me feel so much happier - I usually just wander about aimlessly with a big smile on my face, and I love chatting to cast members!
I think the Disney Ambassador should bring the spirit of the theme parks into the store, and be able to do little things to make shopping there a magical experience.

Well, I'm Chester's ambassador so I hope I'm doing a good job I'm glad you like coming in to chat. Make sure you say hi next time you're in. As for dates, I'm gonna double check tomorrow and try to let you all know tomorrow night.

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I really appreciate it and it's interesting to hear/read

 

[Cyrano]

Well, I'm Chester's ambassador so I hope I'm doing a good job I'm glad you like coming in to chat. Make sure you say hi next time you're in. As for dates, I'm gonna double check tomorrow and try to let you all know tomorrow night.

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I really appreciate it and it's interesting to hear/read

Congratulations. From your posts I think your store as made the right choice

 

[seobaina]

Congratulations. From your posts I think your store as made the right choice

Aww thank you I've now got the mission of getting about half my regular cast to Ambassador status too though LOL. But, we have some great cast so I know they can do it.