In Post Parade Magic, MIC Key™ Snaps V1, we saw how Custodial flooded the zone after a parade in the Magic Kingdom. This photo shows a similar clean-up crew at work on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship. With focused pan and broom elbow grease, the carpet is restored to its pristine condition in minutes.

This aggressive clean up matters because the CONTEXT within which the experience occurs communicates something about the experience itself. Think of the restaurant with dirty menu. Doesn’t it make you wonder how clean the kitchen is?

Disney uber-designer John Hench once explained, “The reason visitors felt so good [while visiting Disneyland] was because Walt Disney had painstakingly conceived of his park as ordered and harmonious. Disneyland had no ambiguity, no contradictions, and no dissonance.”

The same principle applies on a cruise ship, especially one named the Fantasy. It’s an exotic place filled with fantasy princesses and daring pirates. Trash does not add to the fantasy.

What about you and your organization? Do you know what the CONTEXT of your customer service delivery is communicating? Is every element in the environment harmonious with that promise? If, for instance, your business is a store promising hassle-free returns, do customers have to stand in long lines to return items? If you’re your business is a drycleaner, and someone spills coffee on the carpet, will that stain remain until the next regularly scheduled overnight cleanup crew? Or if, in the most extreme real-life example, your business is an airline promising friendly skies, do you drag customers off of your planes?

These seemingly small items speak volumes. If the CONTEXT of the customer experience contradicts your service message, shouldn’t you fix it?