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Patients aren't the only ones effected by customer service training. When hospital staff see each other in a different way and that they are all working towards the same goal, it creates a stronger working relationship in departments and between departments within the hospital.

The Ultimate Goal of Improved Customer Service

The goal should be customer satisfaction, but more importantly is to develop patient loyalty. Take for example Disney's idea. What Disney does so well is that it is not just another theme park, but a complete experience providing for their guests from the moment they step on the property. Disney is focused on creating a "magical" experience for all to enjoy. My family and I went to Disney World in Florida in 2001, right after the 911 disaster. When we landed that night, it was raining and we hoped that the whole week wasn't going to be like that. We were tired and cranky and ready for bed. Well, the wonderful experience started from the minute Disney Hotel's van picked us up, and it was the best vacation I had ever had. We were catered to all week. All we had to do was pick up the phone and they provided everything we needed. That is how a hospital experience should be. Disney has the right idea, don't you think? When you visit there, isn't it a sure bet that you'll go back again someday? Although returning to the hospital isn't something we look forward to, it would always be nice to know that if you do h ave to return the experience will be a pleasant one.

So How Do Hospitals Change Attitudes?

What are some of the ways hospitals are incorporating this design into their training? How are they seeing changes in patient satisfaction? Surveys are always the best way to get these answers and surveys also help come up with ideas to help change the way things are done. Every patient that comes into the hospital, whether it's inpatient or outpatient treatment should be given a survey to fill out about there stay at the hospital. They should be given to them while they are in the hospital instead of mailing them to them a few days or weeks after discharge. This is a more personal gesture, and saves on postage, too! Perhaps there could be a 'suggestion box' of ideas that all employees can contribute to, then everyone can feel they are a part of the changes. Hospital staff could have contests and win prizes for the suggestion of the week.

Giving Staff More Authority

The hospital should encourage the staff to make changes not only for themselves and the patients, but for their departments and ultimately the hospital. Give them a chance to correct problems when they are developing. Hospitals could create  group that handles patient complaints when they occur and not after that particular patient has left to go home. This may actually help develop a better relationship with patients right away because they can see that their complaint is being handled immediately. Now we all know this isn't always possible, but depending on the complaint, most of them can be handled on the floor with just a few changes.

People like to receive gifts. We love to win prizes and to be involved in contests. So have a committee that meets monthly to discuss incentives. Put together kits that include an array of pleasurable gifts, small and inexpensive, that could serve two purposes. It could be for monthly employee contests and you could also provide complaining patients with a small gift kit. You could have gift cards, meal tickets and vouchers for the hospital gift shop that employees could use to address problems. If a patient's family waited several hours for a medical test that was continually postponed, a staff member could give them a gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant. Staff members could also get flowers from the gift shop and bring them to a patient who had experienced an inconvenience, as a way of expressing the hospital staff's regret. You could also provide flowers or another small gift for patients that are from out of town and don't have any visitors.

Celebrate the Employees

Somewhere is all of these changes, there should be a focus on employee recognition. Staff could nominate their colleagues to receive a gift certificate for exceptional customer service. Celebrate Nurse's Week when it comes around, but make sure to have a Hospital Week and recognize all staff.

Make the Workplace Fun

If you dread coming to work everyday, chances are your performance isn't going to be what it should be and productivity isn't going to be positive. No one wants the workplace to be an ongoing party but staff shouldn't dread coming to work either. Having a pleasant environment to work in is important. Hospitals across the nation have spent millions of dollars renovating their facilities to make visiting the hospital a pleasant experience. Sometimes the offices and other employee areas are not renovated because they aren't seen by the public. So if you have to work in an area that is in the basement or your office that used to hold two people is now holding five or six people, you should make the best of it. It isn't always the place where your desk sits but the attitude of your co-workers. Take a look at the video at the bottom of the page. Click here to get there quicker.

Myth About Being Nice

There are some people in the business world today that still believe that niceness is a sign of weakness. They believe that people will take advantage of you if you are kind and helpful. They believe in getting tough and standing up for your goals, no matter how many people that you have to hurt along the way. These are the types that play power games and use cut-throat techniques to succeed, usually resulting in trampling people along the way.

Patients Can Improve Their Own Hospital Stay

Whether your hospital stay is planned or unplanned, do your best to take along a knowledgeable family member or friend to run interference for you when you are too sick or too sedated to advocate for yourself. This person can monitor your care, ask about treatment options, and speak up for you if you can't. Nurses would agree that it would help if patients kept a written log of tests, treatments, drugs, changes in condition, the names of hospital caregivers, and notes of doctors' visits.You have a right to speak up. If there is something with your treatment that you don't understand, agree with or you feel it may be duplicated, you can question the nurse about what's going on.

Use the call button for urgent requests, such as alerting a nurse if the patient's condition deteriorates suddenly or pain is inadequately controlled. But be aware that it may take longer than 5 minutes to respond because of inadequate time or not enough staff or other resources to help on busy shifts. Most patients think that when the nurse doesn't respond immediately that they are sitting at the nurse's desk talking and laughing. Many times it's because of short staffing or because they have just gotten an admission or have an emergency going on in another room. It's unfair to ring the nurse every 5 minutes when you just want your water pitcher filled or the TV adjusted.





Be Nice or Else
by Winn Claybaugh

“one of the best motivational
speakers in the country,”
according to Larry King