3 Things My Trip to Disney Taught Me About My Business

ADVOCATING FOR OUR CLIENTS

PTC Blog

May 12, 2017
//   Jack Aylsworth

3 Things My Trip to Disney Taught Me About My Business

The hilarious Jim Gaffigan describes the Disney experience perfectly; "It's like being in line at the DMV, except on the surface of the Sun". After waiting in line for 60 minutes to ride the Dumbo ride, Jim realizes he was the Dumbo (check it out on Netflix / here's the clip). I spent two days at Disney World with my family and learned 3 interesting things about my business.

 

Fast Pass, Creating Perceived Value

 

Many of you know that the Fast Pass is a way to avoid long lines for popular rides. When using a Fast Pass, I felt like I was truly getting my monies worth and getting more value out of my Disney experience. My version of a Fast Pass, is being proactive with valuation appeals on my clients behalf. For example, if a client engages my service after the May 31 appeal deadline, we still do all the analysis of value and provide information to assessors with hopes of impacting next year's values. Instead of waiting for the next years March Board of Review & May 31 deadline, we inform the assessor (with supporting information) that the current assessment may be inflated (learn more about your assessment with previous post). If we are successful, the appeal process is avoided entirely and our clients realize tax savings for the next year.

 

The Happiest Place on Earth, Know Who You Are

 

Everything at a Disney World theme park is purposeful and easy (besides getting on popular rides - Fast Pass helps). They do everything possible to be "The Happiest Place on Earth" - such as the staff smiling and greeting you, keeping the parks flawlessly clean, and generating endless opportunities for us to be amazed and happy. As a second generation property tax expert, my purpose is to make sure my clients only pay their fair share of property taxes. In order to accomplish this simple goal I study property value through appraisal technique, the assessment process through Michigan assessor certifications, and the tax appeal process through understanding the general property tax act. As long as I'm an expert in these three areas, my clients will be taxed fairly.

 

Constant Entertainment, Managing Expectations

 

Even if you are waiting in a huge line to ride Space Mountain (which my 5 year old daughter claims is her favorite ride) - essentially spending 60 minutes of your life in exchange for 60 action packed seconds of thrill ride - you are being entertained. There are TV's displaying content related to the story of the ride, special scenery developed to support the story, and music, flowers and fans when necessary. It's truly amazing how much effort goes into minimizing the pain of waiting in line. The same can be said of my clients who sometimes need to wait 12 - 18 months to achieve the appropriate amount of tax savings. The system I operate in creates a timeline that dictates when settlement may be reached. During the process we are always pressing for settlement and providing data in support of a reduction of value. I've gotten good at notifying clients of the milestones and managing their expectations of what may come next.

 

Every business has strengths that can be fine-tuned and tweaked to perfection. My trip to Disney World was amazing, and getting away from work helped me consider my service offering from a distance. If I can continue being an expert and offering my service effectively, there is a great chance for continued success.

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