Boston Hospitals Try to Learn from Hotels
The Boston Globe reports how some hospitals in Massachusetts are trying to improve customer service, reading a page from the basics book in hotels, entertainment facilities, or airlines (in the last case, at least the rare ones properly run, that is).
Among the breakthrough discoveries that seem screamingly obvious to people working in about any other consumer-facing industry:
- People in charge of phone or on-site customer contact should greet people by name, smile, and put themselves at the service of patients, instead of (at best) telling them to wait.
- Actually answer the phone.
- Provide clean, comfortable, human environments to patients.
- Serve food people actually feel like eating.
- Focus front desk receptionists on… front desk reception.
These efforts result from patient surveys which sometimes revealed intense dissatisfaction, in an increasingly competitive environment.
December 28, 2005 Related topics: Trends