Page 283 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

264 The Disney Way

And certainly, the management believes in supporting and nurturing its
employees. Management also believes that if employees support and nurture
each other, those employees will, in turn, treat their customers accordingly.
When it comes to customers, George Zimmer is like a mind reader who seems
to be able to comprehend their psyches. As Eric Lane explained, “I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve been in George’s office when we are walking
through, for hours on end, a customer experience; when they come in the
store, what should we say, how will they respond. It’s all choreographed at
the highest level.”

Dare

Daring to go down a path untraveled…that was Walt Disney, and that is
also George Zimmer. Why does Men’s Wearhouse have lower turnover than
nearly every other retail establishment? Perhaps it’s that they view “having fun”
as a definite must for avoiding boredom and stagnation, and they champion
employees who create new rules. In the ranks of most other retail chains, either
of those things could get you fired in an instant. But, George is legendary for
his “Hippie culture” style, as Shlomo Maor puts it.
How many companies have a pool table where employees and vendors
are encouraged to unwind from the pressures of their jobs? Even when the
company was busting at the seams with growth in early 2000, “George sent
out an edict saying ‘the pool table stays,’” reports Doug Ewert, executive vice
president of merchandizing. And how many retail companies buy Nerf balls,
ping-pong paddles, putters, and golf balls for their employees, and yes, their
customers, to play with? The expectation is that if employees are filled with
positive “energy,” that will translate into happy and loyal customers.
The level of trust may be best evidenced by the company’s treatment
of job applicants. Unlike most retailers, Men’s Wearhouse does not require
pre-employment drug screening or conduct criminal background checks on
candidates. The whole hiring process might seem a bit crazy to some, but at
Men’s Wearhouse, there is an anticipation of a long-term relationship. This
is anything but standard retail practice. Training methods at the company
also fall right in line with their approach to nurturing employees. “I think
this is one of the best investments a company can make, investing in their
people and naturally allowing the way they’re treated to trickle down from
their people, toward their customers, which ultimately takes care of the bot-
tom line of the business,” asserts Shlomo Maor.