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Health Care Industry

Customer Service in Health Care: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service Excellence

AORN Journal, June, 2004 by Anne Lindstrom Coe

Customer Service in Health Care: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service Excellence Kristin Baird 2000, 250 pp $39 paperback

We all know that health care is big business these days, but did you know the following?

* It is six to 10 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing one.

* A satisfied customer only tells five other people.

* An unhappy customer tells approximately 20 other people.

* It only takes 30 seconds for a customer to form an opinion.

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It is a fact--customer service expectations in health care are high, which creates a huge challenge for health care workers. We must make an exceptional impression on every customer, every time. This is easier said than done, of course, but this book presents easy ways to create a positive, productive, customer-oriented environment "where patients want to be treated, where physicians want to practice, and where employees want to work."

Cheerful, down-to-earth, and widely experienced, Kristin Baird has written a well-organized, readable book with a can-do message and an enthusiastic approach to important, complex customer service challenges. Baird directs, suggests, and encourages. She fills her chapters with action verbs (eg, clarify, create, mentor, monitor, measure, recognize, reinforce, reward). The book also is full of great reminders, such as "see the behavior and reward it." Through her emphasis on understanding unique training needs, Baird promotes crucial teamwork and team goals, and she gives important tips on how to fan the flames of team participation. "Make it their idea," she coaches.

Halfway through the book, Baird shares a "Pledge to You"--one hospital's fantastic example of making the customer service promise visible. Beautifully written in a "need/response" format, this pledge is an eye-opening reminder of what customer service can, should, and will do.

In two of the chapters that I enjoyed most, Baird talks directly to physicians and nurses. Readers will smile and nod in agreement at the way Baird reminds physicians that it is not difficult to try to keep patients happy; because "if they perceive less-than-excellent service, chances are, they won't return. And they will tell up to 20 others."

The book is a nicely worded, easy-to-digest blueprint for remodeling an organization's customer service culture. Baird is an experienced, energetic coach for anyone who wants to help the health care environment move away from being an average environment and move closer to being an excellent one.

This book is available from Jossey-Bass, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741, http://www.josseybass.com.

ANNE LINDSTROM COE

RN, BA

STAFF RN, OR

ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER OF THE ROCKIES

FT COLLINS, COLO

Health Care Industry

Customer Service in Health Care: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service Excellence

AORN Journal, June, 2004 by Anne Lindstrom Coe

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