Jane was a mother whose daughter had Lupus and had passed away at 24 years of age. When asked by the writer what she thought about the customer service her daughter had received, she said that she and her daughter had received outstanding care.
Her daughter, Lori, frequently went into the hospital to treat her Lupus at all hours. The staff from all areas knew her daughter and would go out of their way to get whatever her daughter wanted and needed promptly. If a procedure were to be done, the nurses and doctors would explain why it was needed and how knowing the procedure results or change in treatment was useful and important.
One physician spent a great deal of studying the disease and helped her physician. He, too, answered her questions and her mother's whether it dealt with new medications, their possible side effects and if it really would help with her Lupus. She was always treated with kindness and respect whenever she entered the hospital.
Upon being discharged, everything was explained, and questions were answered both to Jane and her daughter. When her daughter passed away, her daughter's healthcare providers gave Jane and her family members emotional support. She and her daughter were given the best of care, and everything in her daughter's room was always well organized, accessible, and clean. Jane said if she became ill, she would go to the same hospital. They truly care about their customers!
The Federal government is emphasizing customer service in healthcare. Hospitals and healthcare providers now have programs that incentivize better service, and providers are beginning to adjust their priorities. Customer Satisfaction scores affect a hospital's funding and customers referrals (Oneview, 2018). To receive reimbursements more and more, hospitals must ensure high customer satisfaction. Staff in all areas will need to feel engaged with their jobs, and every employee must treat all customers to the best of their abilities and caliber. Eventually, the service motive wins and keeps customers, not just the money. Customer service surveys and improved hospital amenities are becoming commonplace in many healthcare facilities (CMS, 2019).
The gradual changes we are seeing now in healthcare providers' approach to a customer's satisfaction were born out of a financial nudge from the government. Great customer service is not just about the bottom- line, but healthcare professionals know it is the right thing to do!
For customers with an illness or injury, positive interactions with hospital staff can go a long way in improving an otherwise unpleasant situation.