Customer Service Lessons From the Healthcare Industry Any Business Can Use

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Top Takeaways:

• We go to healthcare providers to address a big problem; our health. Some healthcare practitioners know how to treat symptoms and illnesses; however, they are falling short of making the patients feel like they are human beings with respect and dignity.
• When patients receive great customer service from their healthcare providers, not only do they provide better reviews, fewer complaints, and malpractice claims, but they also have better clinical outcomes.
• Patients are not just comparing their healthcare providers with other healthcare providers. They compare their experiences in the healthcare world with the best customer service they received from anyone in other industries.
• Healthcare must recognize younger generations of employees (GenZ and Millennials) are expressing themselves differently than GenX or Boomers. Instead of focusing on external factors like the color of someone’s hair or whether they have tattoos or piercings, identify the top qualities that truly matter to your patient’s care. Are they compassionate, intelligent, kind, and reliable?
• Nobody wants to engage with the healthcare system. On a pain scale of zero to 10, most patients come in because they are at a seven or higher. Find ways to make the experience less painful for them, like setting the right expectations, providing updates, and not making them repeat the same information over and over again when it is not necessary.
• Plus, Shep and Jennifer discuss what is more important in choosing a healthcare provider, expertise or bedside manner. Tune in!

Quotes:

“Good customer service and patient experience make clinical outcomes better.”

“Train your people to do the right thing for your patients or customers, don’t assume they know. Make sure that anybody who comes into contact with the patient and the patient’s family members, from doctors to billing and housekeeping, are properly trained on customer service.”

“The stakes of good customer experience are much higher in health care than in other industries. It can be life and death.”

“Ask your patients how you can make their experience better. You may not be able to provide exactly what they are asking for, but you can get a little closer to de-escalating their complaints or helping them feel less stressed.”

About:

Jennifer L. FitzPatrick is the author of Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare. As the founder of Jenerations Health Education, Jennifer helps organizations develop happier healthcare customers.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:

1. How does patient experience impact clinical outcomes?
2. How can providing a positive patient experience improve patient satisfaction and loyalty?
3. Why is customer service training important in the healthcare industry?
4. How can healthcare providers take care of difficult patients?
5. What is the best way to de-escalate patient complaints?