I had the opportunity this past week to introduce my four year old daughter to the magic of Disneyland. After a week long trip, we came home exhausted but very happy. Disneyland truly is one of the happiest places on earth, but what is it that really makes it so amazing?

Of course the creative and fun rides, cute decorations, costumed characters, and buckets of cotton candy are part of the equation, but the entire trip I couldn’t help but notice that it’s so much more than that.

My daughter summed up exactly what I was thinking when she said, “Everyone here is calling me princess. They’re all so nice to me mommy, I want to live here forever!”.

From the time I first called the reservation lines through our entire trip encounters with park customer service, ride operators, food sales and everyone in between, the way we were treated and the happy, helpful attitudes made me want to stay forever.

It was such a good reminder in the basics of great customer service and how important it really is in creating happy customers who feel valued and come back again and again.

As marketers, we are always looking for a way to stand out in a business environment where competitors are constantly cutting prices and introducing new products and features.  It takes hard work and dedication, but delivering outstanding service is the key differentiator in a crowded marketplace and will go a long way in setting your company above the rest.

Defining what customers want, measuring how well your company delivers, hiring the right people, proper training, excellent systems and processes and rewards for great performance are all key factors in developing a great customer service program.

Each touchpoint with a customer is an opportunity to meet or exceed their expectations, building credibility and loyalty for your brand.  Whether it be through an email, website, phone call, social media site or sales call, every individual within your organization that encounters a customer has the opportunity to build the brands reputation.

It’s easy to overlook the value in establishing an exceptional customer service program, but taking the time to do so will quite possibly make your company one of the happiest places on earth!