Are Your Customers Satisfied?

I usually hear hospitals and healthcare providers talk about serving their patients, but occasionally I also hear the word customer. This distinction is an important one.

We are all patients at one time or another, but when we have choices about where to take our business, we are also customers. And how do businesses compete for customers? Quality, of course, and often price. But perhaps the best differentiator available to hospitals is customer service.

Certainly this includes a caller’s experience when he or she phones your contact center looking for information. But what about once that person has become a patient or observes your communications as a visitor? How long does it take for your staff to respond to a call light or nurse call request? How fast are test results relayed? Do all of the physicians and other caregivers seem to be up to speed on the important elements of the patient’s case? Details like these can have a big impact on patient satisfaction (and publically reported HCAHPS scores).

We work with many hospitals to find communication solutions that decrease response times and increase customer satisfaction. What about you? What initiatives at your facility are improving satisfaction for your patients, and ultimately, your customers?