Stop The Bleeding And Reclaim Your Lost Profits Today

I’ve spent plenty of time in the tunnels under Disney World, and let me tell you, nothing makes a guest turn into a snarling beast faster than standing in a ninety-minute line only for the ride to break down right as they reach the front.

For years, the mouse has been taking a beating from fans because their favorite attractions were falling apart. It’s the kind of systematic failure that kills the magic and, more importantly, kills your repeat business.

Disney finally admitted they had a reliability problem. They didn’t just offer a half-hearted apology or send out a coupon for a free churro. They went to work on the guts of the operation. They looked at the data and realized that by simply fixing the water tower in New Orleans Square, they could shave seconds off the railroad's station time. That one tiny tweak allowed them to run a fourth train during the holidays and carry an extra 29,000 guests.

They also realized that 13% of their downtime is caused by guests being idiots, like dropping phones on the tracks or trying to jump out of moving cars. You can’t always fix stupid, but you can certainly build better systems to manage it.

The Inspiring Secret To Engineering Lasting Loyalty

This is what Walt called "plussing." It isn’t about just adding more glitter or singing louder. It’s the relentless, obsessive pursuit of making things better than they were yesterday. Disney realized that if the Matterhorn pacers are worn out, the guest experience suffers, and the revenue follows it down the drain. They didn’t look for a "holistic synergy" solution. They grabbed a wrench and fixed the damn tires.

I see business owners every day who are so busy looking at their gross revenue that they miss the massive leaks in their boat. They’re running a business that’s the equivalent of a ride with 20% downtime, and they wonder why their retention is in the toilet. If you aren’t measuring the right things, you’re just guessing.

At my rug washing facility, Eastern Shore Rug Cleaning, we don't just hope the rugs get clean. We’ve systematized the hand washing process so it’s done right every single time without me needing to be there. I spend 90 minutes a week on those companies because the systems are plussed to the point of exhaustion.

Give Your Business The Gift Of Absolute Certainty

Look, the reality is that your business is either getting better or it’s rotting. There is no middle ground. If you’re still relying on a "client appreciation golf outing" to save an account while your service delivery is breaking down like a 1970s animatronic, you’re doing it wrong.

You need to identify your version of that water tower. What is the one small, measurable thing you can improve today that will carry more guests or close more sales tomorrow?

Stop following the herd and start obsessing over the details that actually move the needle. If you want to stop the bleeding and start commanding the highest fees in your town, you have to engineer the experience so it’s impossible for the customer to leave. That’s how you build a titanium cage around your clients.

Go out and plus something today.

Vance "out there plussing" Morris