3. Our mission is to provide all around service, to
teach and discover. We at CMC are committed
to making world-class contributions that place
service to human health at the center of our
patient care
“Empathy [my own favorite customer service
word]. From our CEO to physicians and
registration staff, our culture is one of genuine
compassion. We only want to employ people
who care so much that some even have a
‘following’ of patients who ask for them by
name. Our culture revolves around
relationships, and ensuring that the care we
provide our patients reflects that ethic.”
7. If you don’t see this near the top of a customer
service skills list, you should just stop reading.
Not only is patience important to patients, who
often reach out for support when they are
confused and frustrated, but it’s also important
to the business at large:
Great Customer Service beats fast service every
single time. Yet patient shouldn’t be used as an
excuse for slothful service either? If you deal
with patients on a daily basis, be sure to stay
patience when they come to you stumped and
frustrated, but also be sure to take the time to
truly figure out what they want. They’d rather
get competent service than be rushed away.
8. The ability to really listen to patients is so
crucial for providing great service for a
number of reasons. Not only is it important
to pay attention to individual patient
interactions (watching the language/terms
that they use to describe their problems),
but it also important to be mindful and
attentive to the feedback that you receive at
large.
9. The best forward-facing employees at CMC
should work on having a deep knowledge of
how their department operates. It’s not that
every employee at CMC is going to know all
the ins and out of the company, but without
being knowledgeable about the function of
your department from front-to-back, you
won’t know how to help patients when they
run into a problem.
10. The ability to use “Positive Language” sounds
like fluffy nonsense, but your ability to make
minor changes in your conversational
patterns can truly go a long way in creating
happy patients.
11. Sometimes you’re going to come across
people that you’ll never be able to make
happy. Situations outside of your control
(they had a terrible day, or they are just a
natural-born complainer), will sometimes
creep into your usual support routine, and
you’ll be greeted with those “barnacle”
patients that seem to want nothing else but
to pull you down. Every great customer
service rep will have those basic acting skills
necessary to maintain their usual cheery
persona in spite of dealing with people who
may be just plain grumpy.
12. Understanding some basic principles of
behavioral psychology and being able to “read”
the patient current emotional state will help.
This is an important part of the personalization
process as well, because it takes knowing your
patient to create a personal experience for
them. More importantly though, this skill is
essential because you don’t want to mis-read a
patient and end up losing them due to
miscommunication and confusion. Look and
listen for subtle clues about their current mood,
patience level, personality, etc., and you’ll go
far in keeping the patient interactions positive.
13. There’s a lot of metaphors for this type of
personality: “keeps their cool,” “staying cool
under pressure,” etc., but it all represents
the same thing … the ability that some
people have to stay calm and even influence
other when things get a little hectic. The
best customer service rep know that they
cannot let a heated patient force them to
lose their cool; in fact it is their job to try to
be the “rock” for a patient who thinks the
world is falling down due to their current
problem.
14. Despite all the customer service skills the
world is going to throw you a curse ball.
Whatever the case, it’s best to be able to
think on your feet…but it’s even better to
create guidelines for yourself in these sorts
of situation. Let’s say, for instance, you want
to come up with a quick system to when you
come across a patient who has a problem
you’ve never seen before…
Who? What? How?
15. There is a very specific, customer-focused
process called ‘AIDET’
A – Acknowledge the patient quickly and
courteously
I – Introduce yourself immediately with your
name and title
D – Duration – tell the patient how long he or
she can expect the visit to take
E – Explain simply yet completely what to
expect, what the outcome might be, etc.
T – Thank the patient for choosing our service
16. Great work ethic and a willingness to do what
needs to be done and (not taking shortcuts)
is a key skills when providing the kind of
customer service that people talk about.
Editor's Notes
Repeat Business – According to the Business Success website repeat business are not accidental. Instead, they occur due to a relationship you developed over time through providing superior customer service. By taking these steps we make the patient feel appreciated, which makes them want to keep coming back.
Business Reputation – Patients often talk about their experience when dealing wit business, especially if it’s good or poor. By delivering strong customer service, you are making use of the effective marketing tool known as word-of-month advertising. Patients will be happy to tell their friends and relatives about how well your business has taken care of them, resulting in additional advertising at no cost to us.
Creating Niche – In a time where patients often complain about the lack of service or the feeling like they mean little to a business, providing excellent customer service skills can set us apart from our competitors. By emphasizing customer service in our marketing strategy and then backing it up, we can set ourselves apart from companies that don’t deliver on their promises, creating a sense of uniqueness about our business.
Better Morale – Creating a work environment where customer service is important can lead to improved employee morale, according to the Marketing Sphere website. Employees who are eager to help can put irate patients at ease and improve their experience. This can lead to a more pleasant environment and make employees feel productive.
