Customer Service in Healthcare: It’s Alive!

I have great news: something I complained about turns out to be better than I thought.

Social media played a role, but more important, customer-oriented thinking is alive and thriving in some healthcare institutions.

Back in July I complained about trying to get an appointment at a clinic outside Boston: they said I didn’t need an appointment, but when I got there I found a long wait. I didn’t name them (I try not to be a mudslinger), but I dropped a clue: I called them “Elsie.”

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather: I was contacted by Curt Bakal, MD, Chairman of Radiology at Lahey Clinic (LC – “Elsie”), genuinely asking to understand my concerns.

Even better, they’d already acted. Within days they’d changed the sample phone script that people are taught to use:

“Thanks for calling. We recommend that you make an appointment for your x-ray prior to your arrival in order to expedite your visit. Just for your information, our average wait time is about 25 minutes but, we have increased wait times around the lunch hour. The best time to come in is between 7:30 and 10:00 am or after 5pm if you want to avoid the longer waits. … I will transfer you to the appointment office. If you get disconnected, their phone number is 781-744-8000.”

Is this GREAT? Now they tell you what you need to know, so you can have control of the situation and plan your time effectively! And:

• They listened to my post. When they did, they heard something unexpected: it matters that we have to wait, and we want to be empowered with the information to make choices.
• And they did all that without even telling me (at first) – they just did it because they saw something they could improve. (All they knew was “snooty blogger ranted”– and rather than getting wrapped up in responding to the rant, they listened thoughtfully and saw something useful and acted, without even engaging Snooty Blogger. And even though the rant didn’t name them.)

This response was implemented by Administrative Director Rich Guarino and Operations Manager Lorraine Kelly. Also involved was Linda Cagle, the VP who handles scheduling at Lahey.

Then they invited me to come meet with them. (When’s the last time a company did that with you?) And when I went, they listened intensely – full eye contact, really looking for what there was to learn.

Clearly, my closing assertion in that post “Methinks … it doesn’t occur to them to respect their customers’ time” was off target: these people do notice.

Healthcare providers take note: customer-oriented thinking is not complicated or costly. How much did this change affect their budget?

Bloggers too, take note of the approach I’d chosen. In my frustration my post bordered on mud-slinging, but rather than just ranting, I pointedly focused on my real-world concern: the value of my time, and my ability to plan my life. This gave the Lahey people something to hear, which got a good dialog going.

I’m glad that in my closing assertion, I said I think healthcare is wrapped up in itself. This left room for the possibility that things might not be as I think.

• Customer service in healthcare is not at all dead. Some good people are actively listening and doing meaningful things in response. How great is that?
• Bloggers, it works better to connect the dots for your readers. Don’t just complain; explain the real-world impact.
• Dialog works better than flaming.

• We’ve added one registration station and are cross training staff to keep it fully staffed during lunch time, to minimize waits.
• We are looking at purchasing another suite that will speed work and decrease waiting time for patients.
• We recently instituted a patient satisfaction survey sampling tool, and we plan continuous monitoring and follow up.

We hear a lot about what’s messed up in healthcare, but I’m inspired by this. Alert, motivated, capable – how great is that?

Posted by cterry