How to Provide Effective Customer Service

by Clint Maun, CSP

What makes customer service shine? In all business, including healthcare, employees need a customer service philosophy that can be used in a variety of situations, particularly in difficult times with sometimes-agitated customers. We believe it is imperative to instill a facility wide policy that empowers all employees to take responsibility for customer satisfaction. It doesn't work to set up a low-level customer service process that allows anybody to say anything, anytime, anywhere to the customer or worse yet, avoid them because there isn't an effective way to handle customer service issues or situations.

Healthcare is notorious for using excuses! "That is not my patient," "We're working short today," "I don't know!" "I am new," "I don't usually work this unit," "We have another problem," "Somebody else had an accident." Here the standard response to a customer's request or concern is an excuse.

This approach will not work in today's environment. Example: No one appreciates having to take their burger back to their fast food restaurant and hear the counter person say, "Well we're just going to have a little green meat, today." Or, "If you think this is bad, you should have seen what we served yesterday." Or, "Look I just flip them, I'm not the guy in charge of the kind of meat we use."

If you return a shirt to a store because it's torn or the sleeve is missing, you don't expect them to say, "Well, it is just one sleeve." You want a solution. "Can I knock a dollar off the price?" "Can I sell you a coat?" "Can I rip out the other one so it looks okay?" You want a solution not another problem.

An excuse-based approach to customer service makes problems worse.

If you go to a hotel, and need an iron, you don't want to hear:

"Well, we don't offer irons!"
"I'm not the iron lady."
"The person who's got the iron is on vacation."
"We had an iron but we lost it.

You want a solution to your problem. You want someone to say, "I can make that happen for you. I can handle it."

We believe in a Five Step Process when confronted with a difficult customer situation. For example, Mrs. Johnson is upset with the quality of care and mess in her mother's room. You just happen to be the unlucky victim she meets in the hall.

You say to yourself, "My gosh, if only I had gone on my break sooner. If only I had called in sick. If I had taken another path back to my unit rather than this one, I wouldn't have met Mrs. Johnson." Get over it. You've must learn how to handle these situations and use the following five simple steps.

The first step is empathy. "Mrs. Johnson, I understand what you've experienced, and that would upset me if it was my mother. I wouldn't want that to happen, either."

Number two is honesty. "Mrs. Johnson, I can explain how this situation may have occurred or Mrs. Johnson, I'm not sure I know about this, but I can look into it for you." Customers appreciate empathy and honesty.

Initiative is number three. "Please let me get back to you with more detail later about what I find out about this situation. I will close the loop with you tonight at home or before you leave today." That is called initiative.

Number four is assuming responsibility. "I understand you need to have something done about this situation now, so let me get you some help or I can help you." That is called responsibility.

The fifth step, involving the customer, is the "icing on the cake". As you're walking down the hall to get help or better yet, you are acting as the help, you want to ask, "What can we do to make this situation better? What would you like us to do today, so that you look me up tomorrow and say. 'Hey, it is a lot better. Thank you very much.'" The fifth step is to involve Mrs. Johnson in the problem solving.

In review, the five steps are:

1. I understand where you're coming from (empathy).

2. Let me tell you what I know (honesty).

3. Let me close the loop with you over time (initiative).

4. Let me do something now to help you (responsibility).

5. Ask what it is that would satisfy you (involvement).

You must use the first four steps as a "setup" to the fifth step. The fifth step is the true way to deal with customer service excellence and that is to involve them in the service satisfaction process.

Copyright 2001 Maun-Lemke, Inc.