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I can’t think of a better time when customer service is most essential than when it involves your health, especially when you are getting ready to have surgery. Wouldn’t you agree? A colleague shared the following story with me.
Real world story: “My boyfriend recently had same-day surgery. On top of worrying about him, I was dreading having to go to the hospital and dealing with cold attitudes from the medical staff and not knowing what to expect during the entire day there. My experience has been that most medical staff are busy with their important work and have little time for pleasantries. They have a job to do and do it with as little distraction as possible. But, boy, was I surprised with the excellent service provided by every single staff member at Los Alamitos Medical Center, in Los Alamitos, CA!
“My boyfriend and I arrived very early on a Wednesday morning. From the very first encounter, every single staff person greeted us warmly and was kind and attentive—from the receptionists to the orderlies to the nurses to the doctors. Every single staff person introduced him or herself to us by name and then addressed my boyfriend by his name. Every single staff person explained in detail what he or she was going to do and what we should expect during each step of the intake, surgery and recovery process in which they were involved. And after each and every explanation of what was going to happen, my boyfriend was asked if he had any questions. And on top of it all, the orderly who wheeled my boyfriend into surgery was about the nicest man you will ever meet. He was warm and friendly and joked with us the entire time he was with us. Not only did we feel relaxed, we also felt cared for and like the two most important people in the hospital. You simply can’t buy that kind of peace of mind!”
Strategies that turn it Around:
- Introduce yourself. To make patients and customers feel at ease, always introduce yourself. And then address your patient or customer with his or her name. This exchange of personal names provides an atmosphere or warmth and caring.
- Explain yourself. Whether you are in the healthcare field or not, always keep your patients or customers informed. When customers know what to expect, you can meet those expectations, even surpass them.
- Clarify yourself. Don’t ever assume that patients or customers know what you are explaining. Always ask if they have questions. Every person is different and no situation is ever exactly the same.
- Be your kind self. Most people are kind. Simply put, just be yourself–your kind self.
Remember. Medical staffs perform incredibly vital jobs, without a doubt. But often, they can sacrifice the warmth of pleasantries for speed and efficiency. However, when dealing with people’s health, there is no better opportunity to provide the very best possible customer service.
What do you do to ensure that you deliver peace-of-mind customer service? Please share in the comments sections below.