Dr. Vargo

My challenge for you: Don’t assume your staff knows how to deliver great customer service; train them!

THE REASONS

Most practices provide staff training, but this typically focuses on tasks involved with the job, like how to submit a claim or perform a diagnostic test. Customer service is assumed to be in order. When situations are not handled the way you prefer, customers can be lost to competitors.

ACTION STEPS

• Ask employees how they would handle various patient scenarios. If their answer deviates from your preference, provide feedback.
• When a customer service failure occurs, talk with the employee about how to handle the situation next time. If appropriate, make this a team conversation.
• When providing feedback on “soft skills,” focus on the behavior and not the individual.
• Provide resources, such as articles or videos, focused on customer service. Introduce these in meetings, and discuss them as a team. OM

 

 

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