 |
Improving the Patient Experience
Power brands such as Disney, Nordstrom and Ritz-Carlton have long based their competitiveness on providing world class service and delivering a memorable customer experience.
Memorable and often life altering experiences are what hospitals provide every day. It is the core business. Nearly 90% of senior healthcare executives say that improving the patient experience is one of their top five priorities. In a world where service is highly valued, yet often missing, the decision to provide a higher level of service to patients/families, physicians, donors and other guests, will give your organization a competitive edge.
The Atticus Group will help you create a vision and strategy to deliver on the promise of a healthcare experience filled with compassion, professionalism and exceptional service. We will work with you and your managers to create a culture of service. No time consuming curriculum is needed. No investment in a “program” is needed. All that is needed is your commitment to:
- See your organization as capable of providing world class service
- Personally role model service
- Align employees with organizational goals with Unique Success Profiles© (USP)
- Empower your employees to "surprise and delight"
- Reward and recognize high quality service
That’s it.
Service starts at the top.
Are leaders (including yourself) exemplifying the level of service you desire from everyone in the organization? If not, WHY? The Atticus Group can help you answer this question and identify strategies to ensure leaders teach by example, empowerment, rewards and recognition. When EVERY leader models these service values, it is time to roll out your vision to the staff.
Hire the smile, teach the skill. Great Service starts with hiring practices
Whether the customer is a patient, family member, physician or peer, some people genuinely want to provide them with a good experience. Behavioral Interviews are one strategy that we help you develop to identify the applicant who shares your service values and genuinely cares about people.
Physicians will prefer to spend time in your hospital
Providing physicians with great service and “extra touches” will demonstrate that you value their business. We will work with the medical staff office to brainstorm ideas that don’t add to the budget, but will make a powerful impression.
First Impressions are everything. Great Service begins at the point of entry.
Great service organizations understand that a customer’s experience begins at the point of entry. What kind of first impression do patients, physicians, family members and donors receive when they enter your place of business? Is it like entering the Ritz Carlton? The customer is greeted with polite and calm assurance, offered a bottle of water (with the hospital’s logo) and personally taken to where they wish to go. Or, more like a stereotypical DMV? The customer is greeted with confusion and indifference, given a faded map and told to go around several corners to get to an elevator. Do staff members make eye contact so you feel comfortable asking for assistance or are they purposely hurrying and looking away?
Customer Service is taught by example and carried out by empowerment.
Typically, customer service training is provided during new hire orientation and mostly forgotten as soon as the employee leaves the room. An employee will provide exceptional service because leaders value and model the behavior. In addition, exceptional service will occur because leaders empower employees to care for the customer “in the moment”. This is a key principle of Nordstrom, Disney, Ritz Carlton and other highly recognized service organizations. The Atticus Group can help you develop Customer Service Curriculum utilizing lessons learned from great service organizations and modify it to fit your healthcare culture.
Your staff: The most important source of great ideas
Whether it is a Nursing Strategic Plan or World Class Service curriculum, The Atticus Group will work with your leaders and staff to gather ideas and facilitate a plan. We believe that employees feel empowered to be asked for their expertise and ideas and will get far more engaged in carrying out their own plan.
The Goal
The patient experience impacts all areas of healthcare, including patient satisfaction (as measured by HCAHPS), quality, reputation, employee satisfaction, physician referrals, and, ultimately, the bottom line. By allowing The Atticus Group to bring out the best in your employees, your organization will far exceed the expectations of your customers and make each patient’s experience the best that it can be.