Why the Customer Service emphasis?

[SoundofMusic]

I am always told/hearing that we have to provide good customer service/service excellence to our patients/clients BECAUSE they have other choices as far as hospitals go.

But honestly, if Hospital A fills up, it's not like hospital B is not going to take the leftover patients.

Why is there "competition" between hospitals? One would think there would be a bed waiting whereever one wanted to go -- or not, and that clients/patients would just have to go where their doctors assigned them?

I mean -- we are in a large city and we have only so many hospitals anyway. It's not like our so-called "healthcare consumers" have all that many choices.

Why all this brou-ha ha about having to "please" all of these patients like they're discriminating customers? I mean -- it's not a retail chain.

I just don't get it. People should be happy to go anywhere and get decent healthcare from good doctors, in a clean facility. This is all I have EVER expected as a patient in a hospital myself. Just clean surroundings and safe care. I've never needed to be waited on, coddled, or "pleased." I"ve expected to live, and get out healthy. That's about all.

Our hospital wants to be the BEST - well, how about allowing that hospital on the other side of town to be excellent and the BEST as well? What's wrong with allowing all hospitals to provide good decent care and let it go at that?

Don't know what i'm trying to say -- but this customer service emphasis just doesn't JIVE with what a hospital is supposed to be and do.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Ok, I will admit my initial response to this thread was harsh. However, being one of the nurses often assigned "troubled pts or pts with issues with their stay thus far" I find I do nothing different for them than for many of my normal patients.

I treat them with respect, educate them on their disease process, and have them work with me to manage pain and needs schedules.

I am not a butt kisser, I am honest with them and their families, and do my best to advocate for them. Maybe at some point I will run into that "family from hell" and if I recognize them as so I really hope I don't let it remain a thorn in my paw once the day is done.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

sorry for the bad experience- sooo, did any of this get followed up with? we have been told we ( in so many words) would be canned for that type of treatment. there is no reason to be RUDE to anyone- and i certainly dont treat my pts like that . everyonne of those offenders would be canned where i am. funny how some hospitals have not caught up with the times( note sarcasm).

[shelly304]

Hey guys, please know I am very tired, REALLY whiney, and really b****y. allnurses is keeping me sane right now. On the verge of tears.

What a long, long 8 days so far.

[CraigB-RN, MSN, RN]

Hey there Tait, I think you hit the nail on the head. Especially when some of the most demanding patients are nurses and their families. :)

As to other posters, for many if not most of the hospitals out there, it is about money, the money to keep the doors open, the money to pay your salary, the money to pay the company that supplies the O2, the money to pay the pharmacy supplier, the money to add new services and buy new equipment. The money to pay dividend to whoever holds stock in the company.

I gave my first backrub to a patient back in 1976, don't tell me that customer service is a new thing. I got in trouble for not giving all my patients back rubs. And anyone who's been doing this for any length of time remembers nursing fundamentals.

It's ALL about customer service.

Now that being said, sometimes the problem is how certain bosses respond to this sell this idea. It's not the concept of customer service, it's the fact that some Bosses (ceo, cno, etc) are jerks and don't have a clue.

[RN1982]

Hey guys, please know I am very tired, REALLY whiney, and really b****y. allnurses is keeping me sane right now. On the verge of tears.

What a long, long 8 days so far.

Many hugs for you.

[northshore08]

Because the customer service sucked...we will all be treated as human beings who matter in a healthcare setting. And then customer service would not matter. It would just be a given.

Good post. And I think that "customer service" in this case needs to be changed to "nursing care." Administrators and marketing types have a lack of understanding that there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between the two.

It's a shame when leading healthcare members find it necessary to recommend that any hospitalized person have a family member or friend with them at all times.

http://takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/healthcare_system/healthy_hospitalization

[shelly304]

And don't get me started on the neuro who refuses to make eye contact with me and will only answer my questions by looking directly at MY husband and speaking to him...as if I was invisible. And he knows I am a nurse! Good lord, I need a chill pill.

[RN1982]

And don't get me started on the neuro who refuses to make eye contact with me and will only answer my questions by looking directly at MY husband and speaking to him...as if I was invisible.

And he knows I am a nurse! Good lord, I need a chill pill.

No you don't need a pill...you need this..:beer:

[northshore08]

One more thing.

All the customer service programs in the world could be consolidated into one thought. Just staff the units.

That's all.

Get rid of the excess crap, invest in nursing staff and a blanket warmer or two.

And PLEASE get me some remote controls that work!!!:angryfire

I'm outta here...time to get ready for the 3-3.

[Batman24]

I'm sorry, Shelley. I hope hubby is starting to feel a little better. Try to take a little time today to take a nice hot shower and ease the stress a bit.

Perhaps them finding you were a nurse later on will end up being a good lesson as you never really know who you are caring for. It doesn't excuse their behavior but hopefully they think twice about doing this again. One can only hope.

[Batman24]

Dupe. Sorry.

[Batman24]

It isn't about fluffy robes, and gourmet meals. Its about shutting the door when your patient is on the commode, and treating them like a person and not a burden.

Tait

I see shutting the doornot as good customer service but as good patient care. I find calling patients customers very disrespectful to patients, their familes, their illness, etc. We aren't dealing with a bad cup of coffee or stained shirt but something so much more important than that...human beings in need of medical care. I treat my patients and their families with respect and care because it's all part of patient care not customer service.

If I wanted to make all patients and their families happy many of my patients wouldn't heal or get better because a lot of what is asked of our patients isn't fun or something they want to do. They have to deal with urinals, foleys, testing, not being able to eat and drink what they want, etc. They might not like us as a customer service rep so to speak at that moment, but they should be thrilled with us as medical professionals. We need to teach our patients.