fter a day at Disney, your family leaves Magic Kingdom Park. You hit the parking lot at 8:30 P.M. and can’t remember where you parked the rented white mini-van. Who’s fault is this? Is Disney responsible for finding your car? It’s not their job. However, Disney knows someone visiting the park travels about four hours, arrives in a white mini-van, and, before they throw the car in park, the kids open the door and run for the entrance. They know this happens several times a day, and you may forget where you parked. What does Disney do? They anticipate.

Disney cast members drive around in golf carts looking for people with that look on their face. They ask, “Do you remember what time you arrived, ball park?” You say, “About 11:30.” The cast member looks on his clipboard and says, “Between 11 and noon we parked the Goofy section. Jump in. I’ll take you to that section, and we can find your car with your key alarm.”

Was it Disney’s fault? Absolutely not. Is it their problem? Absolutely yes, because they know people will lose their car and potentially be stranded for hours. Then, what is the memory of their trip to Disney?

World Class Service companies look at common service defects and create protocols to handle them—defects that are not necessarily their fault but will be part of the memory of their customer’s experience, such as:

Sorry, we don’t have reservations at that time. Is this acceptable customer service? It’s not your fault you’re committed. The customer should have called earlier. Is this World Class service? No. At Cameron Mitchell Restaurants with 30-plus locations, if they can’t get you in at your desired time, they offer you reservations at another one of their restaurants. And if that isn’t possible, they offer phone numbers of other comparable area restaurants.

Sorry, but your credit card was declined. Who wants to tell Mr. Vice President, who is entertaining two of his best clients, his credit card is declined? Is it acceptable customer service to notify him that the card won’t go through? Yes, it’s not your fault his credit card is maxed out. You must tell him so he can pay you with something else. Is that World Class Service? No. At Melting Pot Restaurants, with 110-plus locations, they use a courtesy card that reads, “We apologize. We’re having difficulty getting authorization on your credit card. Is it possible for you to give us another form of payment?” As if returning the receipt, they put the card in the check presenter and return it to the table. The host opens it and sees this card and discreetly puts in another form of payment.

This doesn’t look undercooked to me. A guest asks if their steak was cooked the way they ordered it and the server says, “It looks medium-rare to me.” Then the server takes it to the kitchen and tells the Chef and three others this guest doesn’t think his steak is medium rare. And no one is recooking the steak. It’s not your fault the customer doesn’t have a clue to what medium rare is. World Class Service companies train employees to never make a customer wrong. Find out what medium rare looks like to them and get it done ASAP.

The woman at table 24 had a miserable day and is in the worst mood. This is a guest you have to just bite your tongue and get through it. Yes, it’s not your fault she got stuck in traffic, missed an appointment, and lost a sale. Is it World Class Service? No. The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia, ranks a guest’s morale upon arrival. If morale is extremely low, it is everyone’s job to raise it before their dining experience is over.

Have pizza? Not everyone in a party of six likes your menu. It might be a kid who wants McDonald’s french fries or a husband who knew he wouldn’t like this type of restaurant. You can’t rework the menu for everyone, but you can accommodate the finicky customer the best you can. Acceptable? Yes. It’s not your fault there’s nothing on your menu he would enjoy. World Class Service? No. Some restaurants run across the street to get a guest pizza, french fries, or even Hostess Ho-Ho’s.