HUC 132 Quizlet "Customer Service"

Due in Canvas by Aug 14th, 3:00pm

Customer Service: The H.U.C. as a Key Player

Submitted by: Loxie Kistler, Ed.D. M.S. B.S.N. RN CHUC, of Palm Coast, Florida

Have you heard the phrase “The customer is always right.”? The concept of pleasing the customer is not new. This popular phrase originated in 1909 by Harry Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge's department store in London, and is typically used by businesses to convince customers that they will get good service at this company and convince employees to give customers good service.

Historically healthcare professionals were not as concerned with customer service as they are today. In the past, healthcare options were usually limited to the community in which the patient resided and revolved around the local hospital. Today many options exist in the form of inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care, home care, short stay rehab or surgery centers and travel to another town or city is much easier than before. Patients have many options when considering their care delivery of choice. Therefore, competition is great among these healthcare providers and they are all looking to attract patients.

Most healthcare organizations devote much time to educating employees on excellent customer service. Many organizations have a customer service department. A customer service department and its employees represent the company and help to develop the public's perception of the company. Excellent customer service means meeting the needs and wishes of every customer in a timely manner.

Another definition outlines components of excellent customer service. Customer service is the act of taking care of the customer's needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the customer's requirements are met. As this definition states, customer service exists before, during and after the employee-patient interaction occurs.

Why is customer service so important in today’s world of healthcare? Several explanations exist:

• Healthcare is a business. As providers we want our customers (patients and families) to return to our organization as well as to feel welcome and appreciated. Healthcare organizations must turn a profit to stay in operation. Profits are used to pay employees and upgrade equipment, technology and facilities.
• Displeasing just one customer can be harmful to our reputation. Customers may leave negative comments on many forms of social media for family, friends and the community to view. These negative experiences lead to damaging comments that may be impossible to recover from.
• Treating the customer well is morally good healthcare ethics. Ethics include doing what is best for the patient. Excellent customer service encompasses a group of correct actions (code of conduct) that treat all customers as human beings by showing respect and compassion.
• Establishing a pattern of excellent customer service sets a standard of behavior for all employees. Being treated with dignity and respect is one of the key factors in developing customer loyalty while poor customer service is a main driver of customer dissatisfaction.

Excellent customer service in healthcare is based upon research and is evidenced based. Evidence based practice (EBP) is important because it aims to provide the most effective care that is available while improving patient outcomes. Patients expect to receive the most effective care based on clinical evidence and patient preferences. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), three of the six aims for quality care delivery focus on customer service. To meet those three aims the healthcare organization must provide the following:

1. Patient centered care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values.
2. Timely care that eliminates waits that can lead to harm.
3. Equitable care that does not vary in quality due to gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

To evaluate if quality customer care is being delivered, most organizations provide the patient/family with a survey for completion prior to or immediately after care has been provided. Examples of patient satisfaction survey questions follow:

• If you had questions regarding your condition or treatment, were you able to have those questions answered?

• Were answers provided to you using words you could understand?
• How would you rate the staff at meeting your needs and answering your call bell?
• How satisfied were you with the courtesy of the staff?
• Did you feel you were treated with respect and dignity?
• How well did the staff work together?
• Overall how satisfied were you with the treatment and care provided?

Would you recommend this facility to your family and friends?

Common themes found among the above questions include communication, respect, timeliness of care, teamwork and satisfaction with care.

Customer service is linked to quality initiatives which also dictate the accreditation process. Healthcare organizations depend upon earning accreditation to demonstrate excellent care delivery to its customers. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) quality has multiple dimensions, one of which is patient satisfaction. Satisfaction is an important dimension that reflects patients’ perceptions of ‘how well’ the services provided are meeting their needs and expectations. In addition, it is considered an important outcome indicator for assessing the quality of care delivered. Patient satisfaction surveys are regarded as an important method of empowering patients. Healthcare managers can also benefit from satisfaction ratings to enhance processes and outcomes of care as well as pinpoint areas for improvement. 

Much attention is paid to the patient and customer service. Providing excellent customer service is important to all “stakeholders” you encounter during your shift. A stakeholder is any person who might be affected by your actions. In a healthcare setting, stakeholders are the patient, families, vendors, co-workers on your unit, physicians and fellow employees from other departments.

The health unit coordinator (H.U.C.) has a responsibility to positively impact customer satisfaction. The H.U.C. is often the first person a family encounters and is the lifeline for patient needs and requests. Important customer service strategies include:

Start seeing patients as customers. Taking care of patients and families is what healthcare is all about. It may be hard for some people to think of patients as customers, but they definitely are. Their choices bring thousands and even millions of dollars into healthcare organizations.

Be courteous and respectful. Always make sure patients, families and co-workers are treated with courtesy and respect. Smile, greet everyone entering the unit and say “please” and “thank you.” Practice professional telephone skills as the person on the other end of the phone is seeking vital information.

3. Never show indifference to patients. Treat all patients, families and co-workers as a priority. Any stakeholder should not be made to feel inferior and misinformed based upon age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

4. Don't contradict, argue or match wits. Telling patients, families or co-workers they are wrong about anything is not acceptable. Even when they have incorrect information, they still should be accorded respect. Your goal should be to explain and communicate and repeat as needed. Help all stakeholders understand what is going on. Patients/families should feel they are important at all times.

5. Tell patients you appreciate their business. Saying "thank you" enhances any kind of relationship. It's a great way to receive your customers' repeat business.

6. Use plain terms and simple explanations. It may be fun to throw around complicated jargon, but it results in misunderstandings and sometimes errors. Nobody wants errors in today's healthcare environment. Always make sure your explanations are not clouded with excessive and complicated verbiage. Be brief and to the point.

7.Good manners will get you everywhere.  Treat stakeholders the way they want to be treated. Saying the appropriate words can show respect. Establishing eye contact is also part of good manners. Go way out of your way to show respect to others!

8.Keep seeing healthcare as a calling. Too many professionals begin to see healthcare as a job rather than a calling. There's a big difference between the two. When healthcare becomes a job, mistakes are not far behind. Today there are so many complicated variables in healthcare that it is easy to get off track. Remember who you are and what your core business is.

9.Stay in touch with patients.Many healthcare professionals don't think they have the time to stay in touch with patients after care is rendered. They tend to think it's unnecessary and creates too much stress. If your responsibilities include staying in touch with patients for follow up purposes, an e-mail or a phone call will pay off. 

10. Keep your promises. Many promises made to patients are never kept. Avoid statements such as "You'll get the best care here" and "You'll be just fine in a week or so." The difference between empty talk and promises is that promises must be kept. Follow through on what you say you are going to do. And if it turns out you overpromised, own up to it. Being honest will pay off later.

Sometimes things go wrong in healthcare despite our best efforts. The H.U.C. must have an understanding of “service recovery.” Service recovery is the process of making things right after something has gone wrong with the healthcare experience. It's doing all that we can, in a sincere way that satisfies the customer, when service has failed.

1. Important steps for service recovery include the following:

Act quickly. Do whatever you can to solve the customer’s problem on the spot. When you send that problem to someone else—your supervisor or manager—the customer becomes frustrated. That frustration escalates with every delay in reaching a solution. Make every attempt to solve the issue quickly. 

1. Take responsibility. Don’t get defensive and take the complaint personally. And don’t challenge the customer. Instead, be empathetic. Offer a sincere apology. You might say, for example, “I am so sorry. I understand why you are upset. Let me see what I can do for you.”

Incorporating any or all of the above suggestions may assist the H.U.C. to deliver consistent, extra-mile type service to promote excellent customer service and set an example for all fellow employees.

References:

www.ahrq.gov

www.beckerhospitalreview.com

www.healthstream.com

www.huffingtonpost.com

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.winthecustomer.com