Customer Experience - The Sincera Way

What Kind of Doctors Get Sued Most?

There isn't a lot of concrete evidence regarding the financial impact of poorly treating Customers - or in this case Patients.  One can assume that if you treat the Patient poorly, that's a strong negative...  A 2002 study sheds light on the impact of how a surgeon's tone may influence a patient's decision to sue the surgeon...

Whether you are in the Medical Customer Service field or not, this article and thought process will benefit you...  Feel free to remove the medical thought process and replace it with your organization's job titles, situations, and Customer Experiences.  This is a universal thought process.

What kind of doctor gets sued the most?

Brain surgeon?  There's a lot at stake...

Cardiologist?  Lots can go wrong...

Pediatrician?  Hurt me and I can live with that.  Hurt a child and the jury will award significant damages...

Anesthesiologist?

Give up?

The answer...  Rude doctors.  Consider the following excerpt from the medical journal - Surgery (Volume 132, Number 1)

When things go wrong, a surgeon's tone of voice may influence a patient's decision to sue the surgeon, according to a study supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HS07289). After controlling for content of conversations, the researchers found that surgeons whose tone of voice signaled less concern/anxiety and more dominance during routine visits with surgical patients were more likely to have been sued than those whose tone was less dominant and more concerned. Researchers audio-taped 114 conversations during routine medical visits between 57 orthopedic and general surgeons and their patients.

Raters who were blind to surgeons' malpractice claims history evaluated 10-second voice clips with content and 10-second voice clips with just voice tone. The sound bites were taped during the first and last minute of each surgeon's interactions with two different patients. Based on the content-filtered audiotapes, surgeons who were judged to be more dominant and less concerned or anxious in tone were more likely to have been sued than surgeons who were judged to be less dominant and more concerned and anxious.

These findings suggest that how the surgeon conveys a message may be as important as what the surgeon says. Expressions of dominance may communicate a lack of empathy and understanding for the patient, while concern or anxiety in the voice is usually associated with empathy. Dominance coupled with a lack of anxiety in the voice may imply surgeon indifference and lead a patient to launch a malpractice suit when poor outcomes occur, explain the researchers. They suggest that listening to brief audio clips might be a useful way to provide feedback and give surgeons a sense of how they sound during interactions, which may improve care satisfaction and reduce lawsuits.

More details are in "Surgeons' tone of voice: A clue to malpractice history," by Nalini Ambady, Ph.D., Debi LaPlante, M.A., Thai Nguyen, B.A., and others, in the July 2002 Surgery 132, pp. 5-9.

How we treat others will determine how they feel.  If something should go wrong in the Patient or Medical Customer Service Experience, the potential of being sued increases dramatically based on whether or not the patient feels emotionally positive about the doctor.

Question.  Does it matter if we are thinking about doctors, nurses, nurse aids, phlebs, administrators, admissions representatives, custodians, or surgical techs?  It absolutely doesn't matter.  How we treat the Patient will have tremendous ramifications for whether or not they sue, come back, or tell others to come to your facility or avoid it.

The choice is yours. 

Points to consider...

What is your Medical Customer Service Experience like right now?  Where are your critical "touch points" where your Patient may be emotionally-harmed?  Again - don't limit it to the doctor's office. 

• Is your voice mail painful to listen to?
• Is your admitting process devoid of empathy?
• Is your waiting room painful to sit in?
• Is the promised wait time longer than promised?
• Do team members walk past lost Patients?
• Are Patients properly greeted upon arrival?
• Do Patients feel important?
• Is your billing complicated and frustrating?
• Are Patients acknowledged by all medical team members?

How do your team members treat your Patients, the lifeblood of your organization?  Indifferently?  Patients who are treated indifferently - sue indifferently (see the article - The Opposite of Love is Indifference).  It's tough to be angry with someone you like. 

Lastly...  Another big question.  What is your hiring and coaching strategy regarding your Medical Customer Service Experience?  Are you purposely using personality profiling tools to ensure you are hiring the kind of people that are fully capable of delivering a warm Medical Customer Service Experience?

Kind thoughts become deeds. Choose the right thoughts...

Interested in knowing how to inspire your Medical Customer Experience Team to deliver Amazing, Soul-Based Customer Experience Touch Points?  We are here to help you make your difference in the world! Give me a shout at 701-530-0806 or chris@therainmakergroupinc.com.  Prepare to be blown away!

Italic quoted areas are the copyright of the medical journal - Surgery (Volume 132, Number 1) and associated researchers and authors.

Copyright 2009, Chris Young, The Rainmaker Group - Helping Teams Maximize Possibility - 701-530-0806 - chris@therainmakergroupinc.com - www.therainmakergroupinc.com.  Interested in having Chris and The Rainmaker Group work with you and your team?  Give us a shout!

There isn't a lot of concrete evidence regarding the financial impact of poorly treating Customers - or in this case Patients.  One can assume that if you treat the Patient poorly, that's a strong negative...  A 2002 study sheds light on the impact of how a surgeon's tone may influence a patient's decision to sue the surgeon...

Whether you are in the Medical Customer Service field or not, this article and thought process will benefit you...  Feel free to remove the medical thought process and replace it with your organization's job titles, situations, and Customer Experiences.  This is a universal thought process.

What kind of doctor gets sued the most?

Brain surgeon?  There's a lot at stake...

Cardiologist?  Lots can go wrong...

Pediatrician?  Hurt me and I can live with that.  Hurt a child and the jury will award significant damages...

Anesthesiologist?

Give up?

The answer...  Rude doctors.  Consider the following excerpt from the medical journal - Surgery (Volume 132, Number 1)

When things go wrong, a surgeon's tone of voice may influence a patient's decision to sue the surgeon, according to a study supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HS07289). After controlling for content of conversations, the researchers found that surgeons whose tone of voice signaled less concern/anxiety and more dominance during routine visits with surgical patients were more likely to have been sued than those whose tone was less dominant and more concerned. Researchers audio-taped 114 conversations during routine medical visits between 57 orthopedic and general surgeons and their patients.

Raters who were blind to surgeons' malpractice claims history evaluated 10-second voice clips with content and 10-second voice clips with just voice tone. The sound bites were taped during the first and last minute of each surgeon's interactions with two different patients. Based on the content-filtered audiotapes, surgeons who were judged to be more dominant and less concerned or anxious in tone were more likely to have been sued than surgeons who were judged to be less dominant and more concerned and anxious.

These findings suggest that how the surgeon conveys a message may be as important as what the surgeon says. Expressions of dominance may communicate a lack of empathy and understanding for the patient, while concern or anxiety in the voice is usually associated with empathy. Dominance coupled with a lack of anxiety in the voice may imply surgeon indifference and lead a patient to launch a malpractice suit when poor outcomes occur, explain the researchers. They suggest that listening to brief audio clips might be a useful way to provide feedback and give surgeons a sense of how they sound during interactions, which may improve care satisfaction and reduce lawsuits.

More details are in "Surgeons' tone of voice: A clue to malpractice history," by Nalini Ambady, Ph.D., Debi LaPlante, M.A., Thai Nguyen, B.A., and others, in the July 2002 Surgery 132, pp. 5-9.

How we treat others will determine how they feel.  If something should go wrong in the Patient or Medical Customer Service Experience, the potential of being sued increases dramatically based on whether or not the patient feels emotionally positive about the doctor.

Question.  Does it matter if we are thinking about doctors, nurses, nurse aids, phlebs, administrators, admissions representatives, custodians, or surgical techs?  It absolutely doesn't matter.  How we treat the Patient will have tremendous ramifications for whether or not they sue, come back, or tell others to come to your facility or avoid it.

The choice is yours. 

Points to consider...

What is your Medical Customer Service Experience like right now?  Where are your critical "touch points" where your Patient may be emotionally-harmed?  Again - don't limit it to the doctor's office. 

• Is your voice mail painful to listen to?
• Is your admitting process devoid of empathy?
• Is your waiting room painful to sit in?
• Is the promised wait time longer than promised?
• Do team members walk past lost Patients?
• Are Patients properly greeted upon arrival?
• Do Patients feel important?
• Is your billing complicated and frustrating?
• Are Patients acknowledged by all medical team members?

How do your team members treat your Patients, the lifeblood of your organization?  Indifferently?  Patients who are treated indifferently - sue indifferently (see the article - The Opposite of Love is Indifference).  It's tough to be angry with someone you like. 

Lastly...  Another big question.  What is your hiring and coaching strategy regarding your Medical Customer Service Experience?  Are you purposely using personality profiling tools to ensure you are hiring the kind of people that are fully capable of delivering a warm Medical Customer Service Experience?

Kind thoughts become deeds. Choose the right thoughts...

Interested in knowing how to inspire your Medical Customer Experience Team to deliver Amazing, Soul-Based Customer Experience Touch Points?  We are here to help you make your difference in the world! Give me a shout at 701-530-0806 or chris@therainmakergroupinc.com.  Prepare to be blown away!

Italic quoted areas are the copyright of the medical journal - Surgery (Volume 132, Number 1) and associated researchers and authors.

Copyright 2009, Chris Young, The Rainmaker Group - Helping Teams Maximize Possibility - 701-530-0806 - chris@therainmakergroupinc.com - www.therainmakergroupinc.com.  Interested in having Chris and The Rainmaker Group work with you and your team?  Give us a shout!

Customer Service Experience Culture Shaping

Is everyone on your team on the same "page" regarding your Customer Service or Patient Experience "story"?  If they are not - your Customer Service Experience will be somewhat or completely random.  Inconsistent Customer and Patient Experiences drive your Customers and Patients toward your competition.

What can you do strategically?  Communicate - communicate - communicate.  Organizations committed to creating a consistent Customer Service Experience need to do one thing consistently - shape the mindset of the employee team members through powerful communication.

Actually for the record...  Strategic Customer and Patient-centric organizations consciously and actively seek to consistently create the desired Customer Service Experience.  Step one is to create the Customer Service vision in the minds of employee team members.  Unfortunately, few organizations are "strategic" because they fail to keep the "story" of "why we are here" - top-of-mind with employee team members.

The primary problem is one of assuming that everyone "gets it".  (The other problem is assuming that every employee team member fits the job.)  Too often, I find that organizations take for granted or assume that everyone on their "bus" is on the same "page" in terms of what the organization really does through their Customer or Patient Experience.

What can you do?  The answer is simply - talk about the emotional impact of your Customer or Patient Service Experience and do so daily - if not more often.  When your employee team members beg you to stop - keep talking about it.

Keep the pressure on - constantly.

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention.  Bring Chris in today!

1-866-988-RAIN

Copyright 2009, Chris Young - The Rainmaker Group, Inc.

Customer Service Experience Culture and Mindset - What is Yours?

How the Customer or Patient feels as a result of your Customer/Patient Experience is going to be the direct result of what your employee team members believe they are there to do.  The group "mindset" or Culture sets the Customer Service Experience tone. 

The big questions are, "How do employee team members talk to one another?  How do they talk with the Customer or Patient?" 

How employee team members communicate - what they talk about says a great deal about their story and the overall Culture of the team and organization.  The big question is...  "What is their story focused on?"

• Is their story "people-based" or "task-based"? 

• Is their story "ego-based" or "soul-based"?

Clearly, the overall story or "mindset" of the organization creates the overall Customer Service Experience Culture of the organization.  The more "task-focused" the overall Customer Service Experience Culture is, the more emotionally "chilly" it is. 

What is your team or organization's story, mindset, and Culture?

For example...  What does an orthodontist do?  What does their team talk about?

• Do employee team members talk about the misaligned teeth?  Do they talk in technical language?  (task-focus)

• Do employee team members talk about the transformation of lives by the individual names of the Patients they serve? (people-focus)

No judgement calls here...  Your Customers / Patients will judge your overall Experience!  What your employee team members talk about most determines precisely what they are focused on most - the task or the people. 

• An over-focus on task has the potential to be emotionally "cold" and emotionally upset "people-oriented" people.

• An over-focus on people has the potential to upset the "task-oriented" people.

Good organizations are technically-proficient - they do their job well - especially in medicine.  Great organizations are good at taking care of the technical elements as well as the "people" elements.

What is your team and organization focused on?

Technical proficiency is critically important in all Customer relationships.  Unfortunately, many organizations over-focus on the technical elements of the relationship.  In medicine, technical proficiency is particularly important for obvious reasons.  The real issue is many medical organizations think only about the technical elements while losing sight of the emotional elements.

From my perspective, "technicall proficiency" is a "ticket to the game" - it is a given.  Unless the technical talent is in extremely short-supply, the "technical proficiency" is relatively easy to copy.  The real challenge is to marry technical proficiency with emotional engagement of the Customer or Patient.

Do your Customers / Patients come to you because they want to or have to?

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention.  Bring Chris in today!

1-866-988-RAIN

Copyright 2009, Chris Young - The Rainmaker Group, Inc.

Customer Service and the Lowest Paid Employee Paradox

It is an interesting paradox I often observe in Customer Service Experiences...

• Who typically has the most exposure to the Customer or Patient and yet is the lowest paid employee team member?

• Who single-handedly has the greatest potential to create or destroy Customer Value via the delivered Customer Service Experience?  The Patient Experience?

• Which single position often has the deepest impact on the traditional Customer Service Experience or the Patient Experience and is often the lowest paid?

Perhaps you have already arrived at the potential correct answers...  The receptionist or "Director of First Impressions" has significant contact with your Customer and represents your organization and are often amongst the lowest paid.  Ironic is it not?

As a Customer Service Experience consultant, I see this "compensation paradox" ALL the time and quite frankly, this "paradox" makes little strategic sense.  How can it be that the one position that has the greatest potential to create or destroy so much value is compensated so little.  Consider...

• Average organizations measure the direct bottom line, monetary value.  Therefore, the receptionist is a "cost" - not a "benefit" nor someone who returns a tangible return on investment.

• Rainmaker organizations measure the potential psychological impact and recognize that it has a long-term impact on the bottom line, monetary value.

What should be done differently?

Rather than randomly hire people to fill receptionist and phone-answering positions, create a strategy that truly adds value and respects the potential these positions represent.  Following are critical steps to maximize your Customer Service Experience.

1. Reframe the Mindset of Management and the receptionist alike - Management and the Director of First Impressions alike must get into the right mindset about what the role performed by receptionists.  It is not a cost - it is a strategic benefit that reaps rewards when done correctly and loses Customers when done poorly.
2. Benchmark the Position - Identify the Behaviors, Values, and Attributes necessary to do the job well
3. Set Performance Expectations - Define performance success and expect it.  Identify Customer Service Experience Touch Points that are non-negotiable.  Set expectations regarding non-performance and the ramifications of doing the job well or failing to do so.

4. Create Performance Accountability - Employee team members who do not perform their duties as expected shall expect to be replaced or at the very least - provided additional training.

5. Compensate High Performers / Remove Low Performers

Receptionists and those who answer the phone are doing very important work.  The reality is they are making your First Impression.  Make your First Impression count by recognizing the strategic importance of what the receptionist (Director of First Impressions) actually does.  Select the right talent that can fulfill this important role well and compensate them well for the value added.

Now Go Maximize Possibility

Medical Customer Service Has a LONG Way to Go

                                                                                                                                                       The world of Medical Customer Experience creation is a fantastic opportunity...  Medical Customer Service could be a lot better.  Let's make it happen by working on a common theme - helping team members fully understand why they are there...  To make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

It's not about the beds, bed pans, doctors, nurses, laboratory, cribs, hospital gowns, etc... It's about helping people feel better. And helping people feel better emotionally is the most critical piece. Exercise - do this during your next team meeting. Ask - "What do you think our Patients are feeling as they come into our facility?" Give your team 5-10 minutes to come up with several one or two-word answers. Put their responses on a marker board or sheet of paper. Next - ask them - "What do we want our Patients to feel?" Have them write down their ideas over another 5-10 minutes. Again - put the answers up for all to see. Last - ask them - "What can we do to help our Patients feel the way we want them to feel?" Close the discussion with the following question... "Can we ask ourselves - Did I make a difference emotionally today?" That's the kicker. Need an article as a thought-provoker? Check out http://rmg.typepad.com/daymaking/2006/09/the_opposite_of.html. This is a huge opportunity... I know you are busy. We are all busy. Sometimes we get so caught up in being busy that we are busy being busy as we run past those that we are on this earth to serve. It's time to stop telling ourselves this story of busy-ness and tell ourselves that those we touch in this world are there on purpose and they deserve our love. And if your team members say, "I don't know what you are talking about...", then send them to your competitor. What you do matters. Copyright 2006, Chris Young, The Rainmaker Group - Helping Teams Maximize Possibility - 701-530-0806 - chris@therainmakergroupinc.com - www.therainmakergroupinc.com

We do a lot of work in the Medical Customer Service Training field and I have to say that quite simply... We are blessed with all the opportunity that exists... I don't know what it is about medicine...  Perhaps it is that it's a bit of a monopoly-situation in many cases.  Let's look at it from the opportunity it presents.

I am not saying Medicine doesn't want to improve.  Quite the contrary.  I sense a movement, a drumbeat saying, "We must create better Medical Customer Experiences." 

Not that all Medical Customer Service engagements are badly done. Quite the contrary. But all it takes is one negative Customer Service Experience to destroy the goodwill developed via many Customer Service engagements.  I have seen many instances of wonderful kindness displayed by a medical professional only to have the very next touch point destroyed by someone focused on the task and not the person. 

What causes the gulf between mediocrity and wowness?  I think it's because some of us really don't know why they are there in the first place. Some of us think it is about the job - the task.  And don't get me wrong.  That's important.  It's important that procedures are done correctly and protocol is followed.  But it's not what you do - rather than how.  For others - it's about touching other people's lives.  And it makes sense given what we know about our core behaviors (more on this in a future Customer Experience Blog).  Some of us are more task-driven naturally and others are more people-driven. 

From our Medical Customer Experience, we can help the task and people-driven focus more on why they are really there - to make a difference in the lives of Patients and Customers.

How do we do that?  By helping them talk about the difference they are making.  We help them create the story they need to inspire and motivate them to do what needs to be done.  If people don't emotionally own what they do - through "Why am I here" thought processes, they will never do what we want them to do. 

Here's a thought...  Have your team members sit down and write for five-ten minutes about the following topic... "Why my life mattered."  Have them talk about the difference they made in their lives as they reflect from the age of 75.  Why did their life matter?  The focal point will become about relationships and difference-making.  It always boils down to that.  It's never about the stuff we gather in our lives.

Kick it up a notch...  Ask your team members how they think the patient is feeling as they are walking in the door.  Ever think about that? And this doesn't apply to just medicine. When that Customer walks in the door or calls, what are they feeling? Your opportunity is to help them feel better. If you don't - someone else might. If you don't help that patient or Customer feel better, someone may have a better price than you. The key is to create an inspiring Medical Customer Service Experience that leaves the Patient and Customer feeling emotionally better than when you first engaged them. Imagine how it felt... Mental journey here... I remember when our second child, Macauley was born in Bismarck, ND at one of the two large hospitals on the east side of town.  I remember the excitement as we walked in the door.  I remember thinking - "I hope everything goes well...  What if it doesn't go as well as planned?"  I remember being scared.  I remember not being in control (scary for Dad!). I also remember the first time we visited the hospital as we were deciding where to have our son welcomed into the world. I remember how the hospital rolled out the red carpet showing us the nice rooms and facilities.  It was quite amazing.

It seemed almost like home or perhaps like a hotel room... Not a hospital room. And isn't that the point of birth centers - to make the welcoming of a baby as positive an experience as possible? Hospitals have spent a great amount to create this physical environment. What's missing? The emotional-connection. Any organization can change the appearance of the room - but changing the emotional-engagement felt - now that's a real challenge.

Small problem.  When we got there right after my wife's water broke...  No one was there to greet us the way they did when we were deciding because we came in late in the night.  There was someone at the front door - but no wheel chair, no welcome committee... Nothing. In fact, we had to walk up to the birthing area.  I remember thinking... "This doesn't compute."  This isn't how the advertising said it would be.  There were many touch points that didn't match the advertising.  Overall, we were treated well.  But there were clear mismatches between our expectations (set by advertising) and what we received.

Would I go there again? Probably not. And the scary thing is they call themselves the "Birthplace". Is it because they deliver so many babies or because they really care? Saying you care and showing it are two different things in the Hospital Customer Service Experience world. Hmmm... Of course this was 6 years ago, but somehow I am confident they still have a mismatch between what they say they are and they really are. Most medical facilities have this very mismatch.

Tip for the day.  Help team members focus on why they are there will help them emotionally-own the Medical Customer Experience.  

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention.  Bring Chris in today!

1-866-988-RAIN

Copyright 2009, Chris Young - The Rainmaker Group, Inc.

                                                                                                                                                       The world of Medical Customer Experience creation is a fantastic opportunity...  Medical Customer Service could be a lot better.  Let's make it happen by working on a common theme - helping team members fully understand why they are there...  To make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

                                                                                                                                                       The world of Medical Customer Experience creation is a fantastic opportunity...  Medical Customer Service could be a lot better.  Let's make it happen by working on a common theme - helping team members fully understand why they are there...  To make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

It's not about the beds, bed pans, doctors, nurses, laboratory, cribs, hospital gowns, etc... It's about helping people feel better. And helping people feel better emotionally is the most critical piece. Exercise - do this during your next team meeting. Ask - "What do you think our Patients are feeling as they come into our facility?" Give your team 5-10 minutes to come up with several one or two-word answers. Put their responses on a marker board or sheet of paper. Next - ask them - "What do we want our Patients to feel?" Have them write down their ideas over another 5-10 minutes. Again - put the answers up for all to see. Last - ask them - "What can we do to help our Patients feel the way we want them to feel?" Close the discussion with the following question... "Can we ask ourselves - Did I make a difference emotionally today?" That's the kicker. Need an article as a thought-provoker? Check out http://rmg.typepad.com/daymaking/2006/09/the_opposite_of.html. This is a huge opportunity... I know you are busy. We are all busy. Sometimes we get so caught up in being busy that we are busy being busy as we run past those that we are on this earth to serve. It's time to stop telling ourselves this story of busy-ness and tell ourselves that those we touch in this world are there on purpose and they deserve our love. And if your team members say, "I don't know what you are talking about...", then send them to your competitor. What you do matters. Copyright 2006, Chris Young, The Rainmaker Group - Helping Teams Maximize Possibility - 701-530-0806 - chris@therainmakergroupinc.com - www.therainmakergroupinc.com

We do a lot of work in the Medical Customer Service Training field and I have to say that quite simply... We are blessed with all the opportunity that exists... I don't know what it is about medicine...  Perhaps it is that it's a bit of a monopoly-situation in many cases.  Let's look at it from the opportunity it presents.

I am not saying Medicine doesn't want to improve.  Quite the contrary.  I sense a movement, a drumbeat saying, "We must create better Medical Customer Experiences." 

Not that all Medical Customer Service engagements are badly done. Quite the contrary. But all it takes is one negative Customer Service Experience to destroy the goodwill developed via many Customer Service engagements.  I have seen many instances of wonderful kindness displayed by a medical professional only to have the very next touch point destroyed by someone focused on the task and not the person. 

What causes the gulf between mediocrity and wowness?  I think it's because some of us really don't know why they are there in the first place. Some of us think it is about the job - the task.  And don't get me wrong.  That's important.  It's important that procedures are done correctly and protocol is followed.  But it's not what you do - rather than how.  For others - it's about touching other people's lives.  And it makes sense given what we know about our core behaviors (more on this in a future Customer Experience Blog).  Some of us are more task-driven naturally and others are more people-driven. 

From our Medical Customer Experience, we can help the task and people-driven focus more on why they are really there - to make a difference in the lives of Patients and Customers.

How do we do that?  By helping them talk about the difference they are making.  We help them create the story they need to inspire and motivate them to do what needs to be done.  If people don't emotionally own what they do - through "Why am I here" thought processes, they will never do what we want them to do. 

Here's a thought...  Have your team members sit down and write for five-ten minutes about the following topic... "Why my life mattered."  Have them talk about the difference they made in their lives as they reflect from the age of 75.  Why did their life matter?  The focal point will become about relationships and difference-making.  It always boils down to that.  It's never about the stuff we gather in our lives.

Kick it up a notch...  Ask your team members how they think the patient is feeling as they are walking in the door.  Ever think about that? And this doesn't apply to just medicine. When that Customer walks in the door or calls, what are they feeling? Your opportunity is to help them feel better. If you don't - someone else might. If you don't help that patient or Customer feel better, someone may have a better price than you. The key is to create an inspiring Medical Customer Service Experience that leaves the Patient and Customer feeling emotionally better than when you first engaged them. Imagine how it felt... Mental journey here... I remember when our second child, Macauley was born in Bismarck, ND at one of the two large hospitals on the east side of town.  I remember the excitement as we walked in the door.  I remember thinking - "I hope everything goes well...  What if it doesn't go as well as planned?"  I remember being scared.  I remember not being in control (scary for Dad!). I also remember the first time we visited the hospital as we were deciding where to have our son welcomed into the world. I remember how the hospital rolled out the red carpet showing us the nice rooms and facilities.  It was quite amazing.

It seemed almost like home or perhaps like a hotel room... Not a hospital room. And isn't that the point of birth centers - to make the welcoming of a baby as positive an experience as possible? Hospitals have spent a great amount to create this physical environment. What's missing? The emotional-connection. Any organization can change the appearance of the room - but changing the emotional-engagement felt - now that's a real challenge.

Small problem.  When we got there right after my wife's water broke...  No one was there to greet us the way they did when we were deciding because we came in late in the night.  There was someone at the front door - but no wheel chair, no welcome committee... Nothing. In fact, we had to walk up to the birthing area.  I remember thinking... "This doesn't compute."  This isn't how the advertising said it would be.  There were many touch points that didn't match the advertising.  Overall, we were treated well.  But there were clear mismatches between our expectations (set by advertising) and what we received.

Would I go there again? Probably not. And the scary thing is they call themselves the "Birthplace". Is it because they deliver so many babies or because they really care? Saying you care and showing it are two different things in the Hospital Customer Service Experience world. Hmmm... Of course this was 6 years ago, but somehow I am confident they still have a mismatch between what they say they are and they really are. Most medical facilities have this very mismatch.

Tip for the day.  Help team members focus on why they are there will help them emotionally-own the Medical Customer Experience.  

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention.  Bring Chris in today!

1-866-988-RAIN

Copyright 2009, Chris Young - The Rainmaker Group, Inc.

It's not about the beds, bed pans, doctors, nurses, laboratory, cribs, hospital gowns, etc... It's about helping people feel better. And helping people feel better emotionally is the most critical piece. Exercise - do this during your next team meeting. Ask - "What do you think our Patients are feeling as they come into our facility?" Give your team 5-10 minutes to come up with several one or two-word answers. Put their responses on a marker board or sheet of paper. Next - ask them - "What do we want our Patients to feel?" Have them write down their ideas over another 5-10 minutes. Again - put the answers up for all to see. Last - ask them - "What can we do to help our Patients feel the way we want them to feel?" Close the discussion with the following question... "Can we ask ourselves - Did I make a difference emotionally today?" That's the kicker. Need an article as a thought-provoker? Check out http://rmg.typepad.com/daymaking/2006/09/the_opposite_of.html. This is a huge opportunity... I know you are busy. We are all busy. Sometimes we get so caught up in being busy that we are busy being busy as we run past those that we are on this earth to serve. It's time to stop telling ourselves this story of busy-ness and tell ourselves that those we touch in this world are there on purpose and they deserve our love. And if your team members say, "I don't know what you are talking about...", then send them to your competitor. What you do matters. Copyright 2006, Chris Young, The Rainmaker Group - Helping Teams Maximize Possibility - 701-530-0806 - chris@therainmakergroupinc.com - www.therainmakergroupinc.com

We do a lot of work in the Medical Customer Service Training field and I have to say that quite simply... We are blessed with all the opportunity that exists... I don't know what it is about medicine...  Perhaps it is that it's a bit of a monopoly-situation in many cases.  Let's look at it from the opportunity it presents.

I am not saying Medicine doesn't want to improve.  Quite the contrary.  I sense a movement, a drumbeat saying, "We must create better Medical Customer Experiences." 

Not that all Medical Customer Service engagements are badly done. Quite the contrary. But all it takes is one negative Customer Service Experience to destroy the goodwill developed via many Customer Service engagements.  I have seen many instances of wonderful kindness displayed by a medical professional only to have the very next touch point destroyed by someone focused on the task and not the person. 

What causes the gulf between mediocrity and wowness?  I think it's because some of us really don't know why they are there in the first place. Some of us think it is about the job - the task.  And don't get me wrong.  That's important.  It's important that procedures are done correctly and protocol is followed.  But it's not what you do - rather than how.  For others - it's about touching other people's lives.  And it makes sense given what we know about our core behaviors (more on this in a future Customer Experience Blog).  Some of us are more task-driven naturally and others are more people-driven. 

From our Medical Customer Experience, we can help the task and people-driven focus more on why they are really there - to make a difference in the lives of Patients and Customers.

How do we do that?  By helping them talk about the difference they are making.  We help them create the story they need to inspire and motivate them to do what needs to be done.  If people don't emotionally own what they do - through "Why am I here" thought processes, they will never do what we want them to do. 

Here's a thought...  Have your team members sit down and write for five-ten minutes about the following topic... "Why my life mattered."  Have them talk about the difference they made in their lives as they reflect from the age of 75.  Why did their life matter?  The focal point will become about relationships and difference-making.  It always boils down to that.  It's never about the stuff we gather in our lives.

Kick it up a notch...  Ask your team members how they think the patient is feeling as they are walking in the door.  Ever think about that? And this doesn't apply to just medicine. When that Customer walks in the door or calls, what are they feeling? Your opportunity is to help them feel better. If you don't - someone else might. If you don't help that patient or Customer feel better, someone may have a better price than you. The key is to create an inspiring Medical Customer Service Experience that leaves the Patient and Customer feeling emotionally better than when you first engaged them. Imagine how it felt... Mental journey here... I remember when our second child, Macauley was born in Bismarck, ND at one of the two large hospitals on the east side of town.  I remember the excitement as we walked in the door.  I remember thinking - "I hope everything goes well...  What if it doesn't go as well as planned?"  I remember being scared.  I remember not being in control (scary for Dad!). I also remember the first time we visited the hospital as we were deciding where to have our son welcomed into the world. I remember how the hospital rolled out the red carpet showing us the nice rooms and facilities.  It was quite amazing.

It seemed almost like home or perhaps like a hotel room... Not a hospital room. And isn't that the point of birth centers - to make the welcoming of a baby as positive an experience as possible? Hospitals have spent a great amount to create this physical environment. What's missing? The emotional-connection. Any organization can change the appearance of the room - but changing the emotional-engagement felt - now that's a real challenge.

Small problem.  When we got there right after my wife's water broke...  No one was there to greet us the way they did when we were deciding because we came in late in the night.  There was someone at the front door - but no wheel chair, no welcome committee... Nothing. In fact, we had to walk up to the birthing area.  I remember thinking... "This doesn't compute."  This isn't how the advertising said it would be.  There were many touch points that didn't match the advertising.  Overall, we were treated well.  But there were clear mismatches between our expectations (set by advertising) and what we received.

Would I go there again? Probably not. And the scary thing is they call themselves the "Birthplace". Is it because they deliver so many babies or because they really care? Saying you care and showing it are two different things in the Hospital Customer Service Experience world. Hmmm... Of course this was 6 years ago, but somehow I am confident they still have a mismatch between what they say they are and they really are. Most medical facilities have this very mismatch.

Tip for the day.  Help team members focus on why they are there will help them emotionally-own the Medical Customer Experience.  

Now go Maximize Possibility!

Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention.  Bring Chris in today!

1-866-988-RAIN

Copyright 2009, Chris Young - The Rainmaker Group, Inc.

Clinic Customer Service Touch Points

Recently my son had a medical issue that required fairly immediate care.  While we were waiting I used my cell phone to make additional medical appointments outside the entrance to the clinic.  When I returned to the waiting room, my family was no where to be seen - they were already in the examination room. 

 

The question was "which examination room".  There appeared to be 10 examination rooms.

 

No one was available to point me in the right direction.  My anxiety grew.

 

What if a clinic had a "country club Customer Experience"?  A few years ago, I was at a country club working with CEOs.  Needing to use the restroom, I left the meeting room and walked into the hall.  The uniformed gentleman at the end of the hall said, "The restroom is two doors down to your right."

 

That is Customer Service.  What if clinics were like country clubs? 

 

Between the waiting area and what appeared to be examination rooms were two desks that were manned by several staff members.

 

I approached the first desk...  The single person manning the first desk did not look up at me as I approached.  She was writing furiously.  Her body language screamed, "Do not bother me."

 

Even as I stood less than 3 feet away from her, she did not look up at me.

 

I said, "Ma'am...  Could you help me find my son?"

 

She did not even look up.  I stood there awkwardly for another 15 seconds.

 

Without even looking up at me - She motioned for me to go to the next desk.

 

How does a Patient respond to this type of treatment by a fellow human being?

 

I approached the second desk...  This time there were three staff members behind the desk.  Two were working at a counter with their backs to me.  The third was writing something down and was facing me as I approached.  Again, I was not acknowledged. 

 

The opposite of love is indifference.  Not hatred.  How do Patients who are treated indifferently behave?  Indifferently?  With anger?  With fear?

 

Hoping this time would a better experience, I said, "I wonder if you can help me.  I am looking for my son..."

 

Awkward pause.  She did not look up.

 

I then said, a little more loudly this time.... "I wonder if you can help me.  I am looking for my son..."

 

At the moment I thought...  "Perhaps if I went away, they would be less busy."

 

One of the two people at the back counter - with her back to me and without turning around - practically shouted, "Who!?".

 

Her tone was almost "accusing" in manner - like when my mother wanted to know who I was hanging out with in high school and she did not approve.

 

I was startled.  I was not sure she was speaking to me or not.  People do not talk to each other with that tone.  Her tone was extremely inappropriate - almost condescending - and she had her back to me.

 

I felt confused.  How do confused Patients behave?  How likely are confused Patients to want to repeat the confusion? 

 

Again, she said, "Who!?" This time she turned around and looked at me for the first time.  There was no doubt that she was speaking to me.  She looked me in the eye. 

 

I did not feel cared about.  I again stated my son's name.

 

"He is in room 127."

 

Fortunately, the rest of the clinic visit went better - actually much better.  The doctor was amazing as usual.  If it were not for her - we would go elsewhere for our son's medical care.

 

While we were receiving excellent care by the doctor for an issue that created a lot of stress, the door opened without a knock.  The person knocking apparently was an employee wondering when the doctor was going to be finished with my son.  This employee appeared to be interested in moving the doctor along to the next patient.  This person did not greet us - nor did they apologize for interrupting.  They wanted the doctor to hurry up.

 

The doctor answered all of our questions and spent the time necessary to help us feel better and obtain the needed answers.  The doctor was focused on caring for her Patient as well as the emotional needs of Mom and Dad.

 

It seemed that the rest of the organization was committed to tasks without real consideration regarding the emotional well-being of the Patients and those who accompany them. 

 

What could have been done differently?

 

1.  Customer Service Organizational Culture - Unfortunately, many health care organizations like to say they care about the Patient in one way or another yet there is a tremendous void between saying and doing.  The real problem is the Culture of the typical clinic or hospital (or many organizations committed to Customer Experience) is without focused direction.  The real problem is the organization is "being" whatever comes to mind for each individual team member.  There is a lack of focused belief that leads to employee team members taking action in a consistent manner. 

 

2.  Patient Experience Systems - Macro Touch Point - Eye contact - Smile - Name - Make eye contact, smile, and use the name of the Patient (in this case, my flesh and blood) and the name of the human being in front of you.  It is amazing to note that if one were to walk through the typical medical facility, they would find the medical Customer Service devoid of emotional-bonding experiences including eye contact, smile, and the use of the person's name.  What happens emotionally for Patients when a team member looks them in the eye, smiles, and uses their name?  Emotional connection.

 

3. Select and hire talent that understand the importance of points 1-2.  If your talent fails to understand the importance of points 1-3, replace them as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, most employee team members in the medical setting believe they are there to complete tasks rather than make a difference in the life of a fellow human being who is hurting.

 

Mortgage Company Customer Service - Some Get It, Some Do Not

We recently decided to take advantage of low mortgage rates to buy our dream home. 

I have three major "beefs" with mortgage companies thus far.

• The options are complicated.  I realize it must be purposeful - to create differentiation.  My wife and I have very good credit and we naturally want the best interest rate and repayment terms possible.  Yet each mortgage company I have been speaking with has a little different way of presenting the terms.  It would be easier for the consumer to get the information in a manner that quickly told them where they stood relative to other lenders.

• The hours many mortgage companies are open are "working hours" rather than reasonable hours.  We are obviously in a major recession where people should be working as diligently as possible.  Therefore, it would make complete sense to me that the mortgage company would be open into the evening hours - say 8 pm. Few are open past 5 pm.  I actually found one out of 8 in my area that actually answered the phone after 5 pm - they were at home making dinner.

• "You-should-be-grateful-you-are-speaking-to-me-syndrome".  Some of the mortgage companies I spoke to basically spent the better part of the initial conversation letting me know how booked up and busy they have been and how long it will be until they will be able to fit me in.

The mortgage industry is fascinating to me.  Supposedly the country needs new mortgages to free up dollars that are held up on mortgages that may be then spent (or saved) elsewhere.  Yet the apparent non-standardization of options and the limited hours mortgage companies are open seems to constrain what the economy really needs right now. 

Health Care Facility Hours - Are You Open When Your Patient Needs You Most?

The funny thing (or not-so-funny thing) about one's health is that it does not adhere to a schedule of convenience (for health care providers nor the Patient) nor adhere to a schedule associated with national holidays.

Recently, one of our children had a medical challenge that required the use of portable nebulizer.  It happened on December 31 - New Year's Eve.  It was 2:30 in the afternoon.

We have never had the need for a portable nebulizer and were referred to an organization that was part of the "health group" we frequent to acquire it.

By 3 pm, I pulled into the parking lot of the medical equipment company.  The first thing I noticed was the almost empty parking lot.

As I got out of my car, I prayed...  "Please be open...  Please be open...  Please be open..."

The door was locked tight.  My prayers were not answered.  They were not open.

As my hand failed to open the door, I could hear the little jingle in my head.  The "jingle" was that associated with the marketing efforts of the health group that owned this particular medical supply company. 

I do not believe their website language...  They are there to "Improve the overall quality of life..."

"Yeah right..." I thought.  "One exception...  Not on the afternoon before a holiday." 

Imagine...  What if they actually had that on their website...  "We are here to improve the overall quality of life with the exception of around the major holidays.  After all...  We deserve time off like you do."

Next, I called the hospital connected to the medical supply company and asked why it was not open. 

Moment of Health Care Patient Customer Service truth...  I would estimate that 50 percent of Patients would not have called the hospital.  Instead they would have quietyly went away.  They would have went away without the care they needed.  The exact opposite of most medical facilty missions statements would have been fulfilled.

Therefore, an Patient or Customer Service Experience improvement would have been to place a sign on the door stating that they had taken the day off and if they were needed, they would gladly come to the office if you would just call them at the following number...

I could live with that.  But the sign was not there.

My mind was racing...  "Where am I going to get a nebulizer on New Year's Eve?"  I thought. 

I then thought...  "Perhaps I will call the competitor medical supply company.  Perhaps they were in the office on New Year's Eve.  Perhaps I should change my health care provider?"

The person answering the phone at the hospital was very empathetic (a huge plus), listened to my concern and said, "Let me get someone who can help you."

The next thing I knew, I was speaking with someone who was "on call" from the medical supply company (nice save!).  The medical supply company person on call told me could and would help (gladly) and arranged a time to meet.

I was ecstatic! 

Long story short, I received the equipment I needed to take care of my child. The Customer or Patient Experience I received by the person on call was quite good.

No, I do not fault the medical supply company for taking time off.  Just do not take it off unless it is a holiday.  The doors should have been open. 

What could the Medical Supply Company have done differently to improve their Patient Customer Service Experience?  They could have posted a sign on the door sharing the phone number to the person on call or directing me to another location.

Something to think about...   While this health care Customer Service example turned out well for me, it may not have.  It is important to look at what went "wrong" as well as what could have gone "wrong".  The reality is I was committed to receiving the expected assistance.  If I had not been so persistent, the Patient Experience would have been much worse. 

Yes, my child received the needed care.  I was aggressive in following-up to get the care needed.

But what if I was not aggressive?  What if I would have not called the hospital?  My child would not have recieved the needed care and a family may have decided to move their medical care elsewhere.

Yes...  This could just have been an oversight.  Perhaps someone forgot to put a sign on the door.  Or perhaps no sign was intended (scary). 

The bottom line...

• Keep the doors open until 7 pm in order to provide working people the access they need.

• On the eve of a major holiday - keep your doors open until at least 5:30 pm. 

• If you must shut down, provide contact information for on call assistance.

In medicine and the Medical Customer Service Experience, there is a serious moral obligation that goes way beyond your employee's need to take time off.  Your Patients' need to have the ability to receive needed service during (at least) normal business hours exceeds the needs of any employee.  Three in the afternoon on New Year's Eve is "normal business hours".  It is reasonable to expect excellent Patient Customer Service Experience care even on a holiday eve.  If you are unable to provide the needed care or refer Patients who arrive while your office is closed, then it is time to seek another profession or consolidate services.

Customer Service Paradigm

The opposite of love is indifference. 

The real problem with traditional Customer Service is that the primary intent is to get as many people through the system as efficiently as possible without upsetting them too much. 

The Customer Experience is about creating the kind of emotion that evokes and drives the Customer to want to come back - again and again and again.

• Every human being wants to feel cared about. 

• Every human being wants to feel valued. 

• Every human being wants to look good.

To be ignored is an extremly cold, cold emotional place to be.  Yet I see it every day...

The clinic waiting area with the reception desk situated such that the receptionist's (Director of First Impressions) back is turned to the human beings coming to the desk.

Unfortunately, most Customer Service Experiences are more than a little short in the "caring" department.  Most Customer Service Experiences are quite cold as a matter of "efficient habit".

Why is that?

I believe it is because "corporate America" believes in tangible results more than anything else.  Bring in the immediate return on investment or do not do it.

The drive for efficiency means there is one receptionist greeting the Patient or Customer in an organization.  The number of human beings needing the full, caring attention of the receptionist is overwhelming.  The result is the receptionist hurries through the relationship (if you can call it that).  The Patient or Customer feels little warmth and then is expected to care enough to return to do business in the future.

Take this problem and apply it to call centers, retail, service, and all situations involving the interface between the employee and the Customer or Patient.

The real problem with traditional Customer Service is one of measurement of value creation.  It is easy to measure how much was "done" today by measuring the number of tasks completed.  It is difficult to place a value on the answer to the question, "Have I made a fellow human being feel better today?"  Making a positive difference in the life of those you touch leads to amazing things.

The unfortunate reality