Customer Service Excellence

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 3, 2002

Spent 2 eight hour days last week being entertained by the Studer Group and have another Eight hour session next week as I've been appointed "Champion" for physicians. Organization has learned they need to pay attention to the INTERNAL customer = their staff as a way of improving EXTERNAL customer satisfaction = patients and growing the business.

Key phrases at key times ie "I have the time, is their anything else I can do for your before I leave" was proven to decrease call bell use. OTHER similar phrasing is considered acceptable. The need for customer recovery (staff/patients) emphasized.

Gee, when I worked in the hospital 10 years ago that was part of my daily lingo...noticed at times I had fewer call lights winking that other staff at times so guess ahead of the game and didn't realize it---just a "trick of the trade" passed on by senior RN's who mentored me. I also would round and let patients know if In knew I would be tied up "with a patient emergency, assisting doc in procedure for next 45 minutes" also helped.

Heard many scenerios posted here from other nurses discussed---all in a fun, relaxed, low pressure atmoshphere with many belly laughs. " Nursing Shortage---treat the nurses right" was HEAVILY emphasized. Look at workflow process to make nurses lives easier eg.: back saving devices, correct par amounts of linens /supplies available 24/, physicans accountability for their actions with no tolerance for abuse stressed.

Organization has come to realize they will not be a #1 teaching, research or speciality hospital but can be a great group of cooperating community hospitals and facilities and long term committment to this program stressed.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 3, 2002

P.S.: Bravo Deespoohbear!!

Had 4 docs in audience of 700 in attendance at our seminar.

MollyMo · Oct 3, 2002

Originally posted by LasVegasRN
Perhaps many of you, like me, are forced.. er, I mean, encouraged to attend this mandatory 4 hour torture, er, I mean, inservice that hospitals and major employers require their employees to endure, er, I mean, attend.

May I just say that my life is now so totally enriched with the vast amount of information I had never imagined could be so crucial to my development as a human being. 4 hours of group scenarios, overhead transparencies, and instruction on providing excellent customer service. I have now reached my highest stage of self-actualization and life fulfillment.

How may I touch each of you with my vast knowledge and learned excellence in customer service? I missed a small portion because they waited so long to take a break, although I was tempted to stay and share..

I have a headache from reading that. It's either the sugar or the bull meter. :kiss

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2002

How about management taking a customer service class on how to serve their internal customers as in their staff nurses. So they can retain us??????

OBNURSEHEATHER · Oct 3, 2002

Were those mandatory for every nurse in the entire country or what? Ours were only an hour, but they've done 2 rounds, with another to follow. They think we're so dumb we could only handle it in small doses.

So much for mandatory. I didn't go. I'm a rebel. :devil:

Heather

LasVegasRN · Oct 3, 2002

Originally posted by OBNURSEHEATHER
...So much for mandatory. I didn't go. I'm a rebel.

Oooh. Don't be surprised if someone from HR comes up behind you, points and makes that hawking sound like from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Resistance is futile!! :eek:

OBNURSEHEATHER · Oct 3, 2002

Actually, a few weeks ago, our unit educator gave me the handouts and asked me to sign a paper staing that I went over them (since I wasn't able to attend). When I signed, I noticed the sigs of all my coworkers, and saw it was the actual attendance sheet for the seminar.

Damn, I'm slick.

Heather

Youda · Oct 3, 2002

LasVegasRN, I must say that because I am currently out on a medical leave, I missed our yearly customer service inservices. I am truly distraught, since I am sure that, like you, I have missed a tremendously insightful and useful tool in dealing with customers. Could you please inform me where I might attend another? My life is incomplete since I haven't had one this year.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Oct 3, 2002

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Stop. You're killing me.

Heather

JonRN · Oct 3, 2002

I haven't attended any enrichment inservices for several years. I guess I am enrichment deprived. I once made a suggestion to administration that they hire 10 nurses to do nothing but go to meetings. That way everyone would be happy, the inservice presenters would be happy because they would be guaranteed an attendance of 10, the nurses who went to the meetings would be happy because that is all they would do, and the rest of us would be happy because we could actually do our job. They didn't think it was as funny as I did.

Pappy

LasVegasRN · Oct 3, 2002

Hee - I think Pappy and I should attend the same enriching class for our mutual enrichment of getting tossed out. :chuckle

RNinICU · Oct 4, 2002

Vegas, I just finished a seven week series of customer service classes. The initial class was 4 hours, then there were six more weekly classes of an hour each. Every hospital employee has to attend, and they are telling us it will take about three years for all employees to get through the program. In addition to the money it is costing the hospital, it is a waste of time. I learned nothing new from the program, and I have not noticed a change in the behavior of any of the others who were in my group. We also have a "service recovery" program where we are giving gift baskets to patients who complain. This program seems to be working very well. There was a patient discharged last week with three baskets. Maybe she learned how to work the system? Of course, administration is very enthusiastic about both of these programs. We are still the lowest paid in our area, but we know how to give good customer service.