“Biggest question: isn’t it really ‘customer helping’ rather than customer service? And wouldn’t you deliver better service if you thought of it that way?” -Jeffrey Gitomer
At the conclusion of Hospice Customer Helping Part 1, I stated that as a leader you are responsible for providing an atmosphere that sets the standard that customer service is not an afterthought but it is part of everything we do, regardless of our hospice job responsibilities.
How do you create, refresh and maintain a hospice customer service environment? Here are some recommended steps that I have used and that I have seen other hospices utilize. There are other options for implementing and maintaining a customer service atmosphere, and you should choose the one that suits your leadership style and the “personality” of your hospice program and team.
- Be the role model for customer service. Your employees watch how you interact with external customers and internal customers: THEM. Expect all managers to be Hospice Customer Helping role models.
- Assess your current customer service environment: Do our mission and value statements reflect customer service?
- Do we include customer service in the interview process, orientation, and on-going education/training?
- Do we have established standards for customer service? Do we measure how we are doing? (NOTE: Hospices are usually really good about surveys after the patient’s death, but we need to be conscientious about checking on how we are doing from the time of referral through bereavement.)
- Can all employees articulate your program’s commitment to customer service (in their own words)?
- Do you and other managers reward and recognize quality customer service?
- How do we handle a customer “problem/complaint?” What is our plan and expectation for service recovery?
- Do we include a mini-training and/or discussion about customer service during team meetings, management meetings, liaison/sales meetings, etc.?
- Do employees know who their customers are: patients/families, referral sources, NH staff, Assisted Living staff, physicians, the community, each other, etc.?
- Do employees feel empowered to respond to customer praise and customer complaints and more importantly do they know how to do this?
- As a leader, do I value customer service? Do my other managers? Does my Medical Director?
- Do we ask our customers how we are doing, and do we listen and take action on the feedback?
RECOMENDATIONS/IDEAS
Include 1-2 customer service questions during the interview process for ALL employees:
- “What does hospice and/or healthcare customer service mean to you?”
- “Give me an example from your past which demonstrates good customer service.”
- “Give me an example of how you have handled a patient/other customer complaint in the past.”
Orientation and training should reflect education about customer service and your expectations as the leader. As an employee, if I am asked about customer service during the interview, it’s included in orientation, we occasionally have customer service education and if we talk about examples (case studies during team or other meetings), I will know how important it is.
Write your standards for customer service if you don’t have them. Keep them simple and no more than 3-5. Post them in the office. Share them with referral sources and ask them how we are doing: “If you were to grade us on …, what grade would you give us?” If they don’t give you an A, ask what would get the grade to an A and then follow-up and do it.
Role playing with liaisons and managers on how to present the standards to customers as a feature and how to customize the feature for each customer making it a meaningful benefit is a valuable teaching tool.
During orientation, ask employees to write out what customer service means to them.
Implement a customer service recognition program: “ATTA BOYS/GIRLS”.
Develop and implement a model for customer service complaints/issues. I personally believe (and know) that any external customer issue should be responded to immediately and in person by a management level person. Customers know that healthcare delivery is not always perfect, and at the same time they want you to take their concerns seriously. Often, a manger showing up personally will automatically diffuse the situation.
ALWAYS FOLLOW-UP PROMPTLY. Customer service surveys have shown that a pet peeve is the lack of prompt follow-up to questions or issues.
Empower (and train) your employees to respond to customer praise and/or issues. Each employee’s mantra should be:
“I MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER BUT I WILL FIND OUT. I MAY NOT HAVE THE TIME BUT I WILL MAKE IT.”
Create an environment where employees feel comfortable communicating customer service issues without fear of reprimand. Your response should be “Let’s discuss it so we can handle it differently and/or fix it so it doesn’t happen again.”
The quality of our care, communication and customer service depends on the quality of the people we hire, the quality of their orientation/education and the quality of our customer service environment and hospice care knowledge and expertise.