It’s 8:30 am the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World just opened. Guests are pouring down Main Street, USA headed for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train ride. Although the ride has been operating for a few years now, it still draws huge crowds and very long lines.

The snap above captured leaders and their cast members INTERACTING with those guests. But, the cast members have an ulterior motive. They are actually redirecting guests the long way around the Carousal so that the Mine Train ride line doesn’t back up all the way to the park entrance.

No one is hollering at the guests. No one is pushing them in a direction. Their very presence is enough to move the crowd flow away from Main Street. Through this subtle technique, they enhance the early morning excitement and happiness of the Magic Kingdom, connect with passing guests, and control the crowd flow. It’s subtle, effective, and sly.

Why holler at guests when you can simply stand there and welcome them? Any other approach would not support the Magic Kingdom’s Purpose of creating Happiness. 

What about you and your organization? Do you pay attention to crowd flow through your facility? If your business is retail, for instance, does product placement flow naturally and intuitively for customers or do they have to backtrack for items they need? If your business is a market or deli, does the customer see bread, then cold cuts, then sides, then condiments? If not, why not? You may be missing sales.

Likewise, do you place your team members in situations where they have to correct your customers? Or, have you developed positive, subtle ways to guide customer behavior?

Do you effectively guide customer flow through your facility?