HealthCare and Customer Service

What is good customer service and is it enough? I think we should first talk about who are your customers. Customers are anyone, internal or external, that form an opinion about your organization as a result of any direct or indirect contact. So customers can be an employee, a vendor, a family member, a passerby, a healthcare partner and of course our patients. Because the list of customers can be so broad it is critical that your organization is committed to providing great customer service to everyone they encounter.

How does a person go from providing good to great customer service? I believe there are two main components needed in order to provide great customer service;

• Active Listening
• Meeting and exceeding your customers expectations

When you are listening to a customer do you;

• Acknowledge what they are saying
• Isolate the problem
• Repeat what you think the problem is back to the customer, write it down.
• Brainstorm solutions with the customer
• Check to see if there is anything else
• Follow up, give a firm date of when that will happen.

We would all love to be able to say yes to every request we receive but in today's world that is not always possible or best for the customer. Most customers can be more than satisfied and feel their needs were met by simply getting to verbalize there needs and having a rational explanation as to why they can or cannot be met. Knowledge is power and a simple explanation can give the customer the power to understand the situation.

It is just as important to demonstrate in your body language that you are actively listening and caring about the customer's needs.

• Make eye contact during your conversation
• Extend your hand to great a person - make that handshake firm
• Stand when somebody walks into your office
• Keep your arms open, crossing them is a sign of not being open to listening
• Use your facial expressions to show that you are listening
• Make sure your posture is good, slumped gives an impression of being lazy or uninterested.

It is just as important to practice these positive body language techniques when speaking on the phone. Your voice often reflects what your body is doing. Everyday you have the choice to choose your attitude and that choice is reflected throughout the day. Make your attitude great and it will spread to most everyone you encounter, make it bad and well... we have all encountered that and it is just no fun.

What will you do different today, tomorrow and next week to move from good to great customer service?

Source: Sarah Ross, American Medical Response Northwest, PO Box 15339, Portland, OR 97293-5339, www.amr.net
Posted April 2008. Markets: Oregon, Portland, Salem