CEO COLUMN
RAISING THE BAR:
Employee engagement
As we search during these challenging times to find ways to support our clients and provide
services to the marketplace, it is essential to keep employee engagement top of mind.
Prior to the current pandemic, I sat down with Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice
President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort, to discuss business strategies given
his major and lasting legacies for creating Disney Great Leader Strategies that trained 7,000
leaders at Walt Disney World.
In the Q1 issue of Perspectives, Lee shared his insights into creating exceptional client
servicing. In part two of my conversation, Lee shares his thoughts on employee engagement
and the role a CEO should play in implementing improvements in client servicing.
Dan LaBert, CEO
NAILBA
[email protected]
“My personal
philosophy is that
the customer is
not always right,
but they are always
the customer.”
Lee Cockerell
former Executive
Vice President of Operations
Walt Disney World Resort
Dan LaBert: These days, insurance agencies are finding themselves under the same pressure
to provide world-class customer service and interaction with independent producers no
different than hotels, retail stores and resort operations. What role do you see employee
engagement playing for agencies who want to achieve the highest level of customer service?
Lee Cockerell: I would say that employee engagement is vital if an organization wants to be
rated as excellent. Engagement is just a word but real engagement is showing an interest
in your customers and paying close attention to them, showing respect to them, getting to
know them better each time you have an interaction with them and going out of your way
to give them above and beyond excellent service.
Having highly engaged employees at every level gives an organization a big competitive
advantage. Your customers/clients will not be committed to you unless they are certain you
are committed to them.
Dan LaBert: In your book “The Customer Rules; 39 essential roles for delivering sensational
service,” you say that customer service is not a department. With so many general agencies
operating on limited budgets, usually there are limited resources for support staff, public
relations and or marketing personnel. How does a small operation create a brand associated
with the highest level of customer service?
Lee Cockerell: I am a one man show since I retired from Disney. I run my publishing, consulting
and speaking business all by myself. I have no employees. My brand is me. People love
working with me because I am highly organized. I keep my promises and I deliver above
their expectations. I have a few experts available to do things I am not good at. I have an IT
computer expert, a website expert and a tax accountant. I pay them well to take care of my
needs when I need them.
Dan LaBert: Day in and day out, financial planners must advise, consult, and address some
of the biggest problems in a person’s life. During your time at Walt Disney World, you
interacted with all types of people from all places around the globe at the best of times
and worst of times. What has been your inspiration for creating great customer service and
customer experience no matter the environment?
CEO Column continued on page 8
6
Perspectives
Q2 2020