On a recent Friday morning, I woke up with a sore throat. Despite the discomfort, I made it through the day, but I was extremely tired all day long.
I was slated as an announcer for the local Oceanside parade on Saturday. Although my throat was VERY sore, I was able to make it through announcing the event—somehow. When I got home, I tried to take a nap, but my throat was so sore that I couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or swallow. I checked my throat in the bathroom mirror and saw two white spots toward the back. I KNEW this was not good.
Real World Story: I was having severe throat discomfort, so I googled the local CVS Minute Clinic. I LOVE the Minute Clinic. They have helped me out sooooo many times in the past. I simply walk in, see a provider, and I’m taken care of. I find a clinic near me that’s open until 4:30 pm on this early Saturday evening. I arrive at 4:05pm. As I’m trying to register myself at the clinic’s self-serve computer, I see the provider in the exam room tidying up. He has no patient with him. The computer’s scheduling program states no appointments are available today. So, I approach the provider and ask, “Are you closed?”
He says something like, “There are no appointments available today.”
“But what about walk-ins?” I ask.
“Oh, you can walk in if you have an appointment. They need to change that on the website,” he retorts.
BUT, I’ve ALWAYS walked into the Minute Clinic in the past. In fact, this is exactly what I did in January of this year in Honolulu, I think to myself.
I tell him about my possible strep throat, and he simply suggests I check with one of the other facilities. He quickly adds that I will need an appointment before I go. He looked like he was in a hurry to go somewhere and could not have cared LESS about me and my health issue. I tell him that I don’t understand. Their website states they are open until 4:30 pm, yet he is packing up at 4:05 pm.
Talk about unmet expectations. I was PISSED! I’ve NEVER had such lousy treatment at a Minute Clinic. I MAY NEVER GO BACK because of this. I sit down and start googling other locations. NONE of them have availability for TWO DAYS.
Now I go to Yelp. The first clinic I find from a different network has a 4-star rating, which is rare for a healthcare organization. I go to their website and I’m able to schedule an appointment for 4:40 pm TODAY! I make the appointment and head on over. This place is called Carbon Health Urgent Care.
From the moment I scheduled my appointment, to walking in the door, and through the end of the visit, I was treated with care, courtesy and respect. They communicated via text, email and through their patient portal. I never had a question about next steps, lab results or who to call if I had any problems. Guess who earned a customer AND who I’m telling my friends and family about?
Good-bye, Minute Clinic. Hello, Carbon Health!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Customers and patients can and will divorce you: Of all your customers, 86% of them will quit doing business with you because of ONE bad experience. Yes, you may deliver exceptional service 99% of the time. And while it may not seem fair, that 1% will kill relationships with customers.
- Customers and patients have expectations: The number one reason for all complaints is an UNMET EXPECTATION. If you promise a certain amenity, be prepared to deliver on that promise every single time with every single customer. If your website states you are open until 4:30pm, stay open until 4:30pm!
- Customers and patients want easy interactions: Consumers want their experiences with businesses to be EASY and STRESS FREE! And they want this on a consistent basis.
Remember: The gold standard in customer service is delivering exceptional customer service 100% of the time to every single customer—consistency is the key. And all businesses should strive to be a carbon copy of that standard. Thank you, Carbon Health!
What does your business do to ensure it is a carbon copy of the gold standard in customer service?