No, Mickey Mouse will not be wearing fatigues anytime soon. But will we see a few soldiers donning mouse ears?  Probably not. Still, I find it quite interesting that Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. shelled out $800,000 to the company who’s mission statement is “Make People Happy” in an effort to get its staff to start showing a bit more empathy to its patients and their families (story).

Walter Reed caught a lot of flack the past few years over its neglect of patients (see original Washington Post story). Reasons ranged from being short-staffed to being embroiled in bureaucracy. For instance, one caseworker would be assigned as many as 50 patients. Yikes.

According to reports, they’ve made great strides since then, and they’re continuing to improve.

The Disney Institute - Kings of Customer Service

If anyone can help Walter Reed improve their interaction with patients, Disney can. Their customer service training is touted as among the best in the world. For example, at Disney, all work uniforms are referred to as “costumes,” and when employees are in the public eye, they’re not working, they’re “performing.” Also, visitors are called “guests.”

As pointed out in the book Made to Stick, this language paints a great picture for employees. No actor would get casual, catty, or cold toward a theater guest while that actor was on stage performing.

The result? Disney’s guests are happy, which means the company is fulfilling its mission.

I doubt the Army is going to start calling its uniforms “costumes,” but Disney’s assistance in focusing them on customer service certainly won’t hurt.

All of Health Care Could Use This Help 

Unfortunately, Walter Reed is not the only sore spot in the area of poor patient care. Early in January of this year, talk show host Glenn Beck released a video outlining his horrific experience in a hospital over the Christmas break. Beck said he was shocked to see the lack of understanding hospital employees had for him and his wife.

Beck’s diagnosis?  The system is not broken.  It’s just that the “Care” needs to be put back in “Health Care.”

Who knows? Disney may have a stake in the future of health care.

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Filed in Training, Leadership, Health Care, Customer Service, Workplace, Corporate Culture