Customer service in the medical practice – Are you losing additional revenue opportunities?

Rule #1 – Be consistent. Every policy, procedure, and list of priorities sends a message – make sure it’s the right message.

Rule #2 – Ensure quick successes. Look for ways to get the group’s employees to buy into the program – early on after its deployment.

Rule# 3 – Symbolize the new identity. Make sure the group’s logos and branding support the new identity of the group and the culture change.

Rule #4 – Celebrate all the group’s successes. Make sure the group’s employees recognize the work efforts involved as well as the success the group will enjoy. Stress the fact that the work completed will significantly enhance the care and service levels to the patients, which should feed the ego of the group to do more and more in the future.

And lastly, do not forget how vital the buy-in is of the clinicians of the group. They must be introduced early to the new patient/customer service program and embrace it so that their employees will recognize that these efforts are focused on providing a high quality of care throughout the enterprise. As the French philosopher Albert Schweitzer once stated, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it’s the only thing.”
 

References

1. Peters, T. “The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work that Wows and Jobs that Last.” (New York, Vintage Books, 2018).

2. 10 Strategies to Provide Patients with Superior Customer Service. Becker’s Hospital Review 2010 Dec 20.

3. Shell MA, Buell RW. Why anxious customers prefer human customer service. Harvard Business Review 2019 April 15.

4. Matt Brannon. 13 Ways to improve customer services at your medical practice. Blog post Sept 7, 2018.

5. 5 Reasons Why Customer Service Matters in Healthcare. https://www.pointsgroup.com/5-reasons-why-customer-service-matters-in-healthcare/Feb. 25, 2014

6. Senge P, Kleiner A, Roberts C, et al. “The Dance of Change: A fifth discipline resource.” (New York, Doubleday, 1999).

7. Bridges W. “Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.” (Boston, Da Capo Books, 2017)

8. Michelli J. “The New Gold Standard – 5 Leadership Principles for Creating the Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.” (New York, McGraw Hill, 2008).

Mr. Turner is chief executive officer of Indianapolis Gastroenterology and Hepatology.