4 Elements of Great Customer Service – Lessons from a Hospital

2 weeks ago we welcomed baby Ressler into the world. As one imagines, it’s a stressful time in the hospital and we had to spend a couple extra days for a potential scare that turned out fine.

In general, we had great customer service during our stay so I wanted to share 4 elements of great customer service based on our visit.

1) Know Your Customer – Every customer is different at a hospital (some mothers have read 20 books while others have read 0, some are 100% for breast feeding while others don’t care, some want a natural birth and others want drugs). Our nurses and doctors asked us questions about our desires and were soon able to base their interactions around this knowledge (for example, I know you really only want to breast feed but your child needs an IV for these four reasons & here’s why it won’t hurt breastfeeding in the future).

2) Don’t Make Customers Feel Rushed – Everyone at the hospital is usually busy – the nurses and doctors are running around trying to handle all the action. As a customer, the last thing I want is to feel rushed when I’m talking to a doctor. I also want them to look calm and under control. We had one nurse who looked stressed and hectic – that does not make you feel confident. When you deal with a customer, make them feel special and under control.

3) It’s About Results – In the end, great customer service is about getting results. If the hospital staff were calm and made connections, but didn’t do what was needed for our child, I would not be happy. So remember the #1 goal is successful completion of the task. Hire competent people, train them well, and continue to improve and optimize procedures.

4) The Extra Touch Matters – Finally, the extra touch matters. When we were in the NICU, the nurse snuck in a couple free meals for my wife, even though it wasn’t included. They also provided an extra chair and blanket so I could sleep there as well. Go the extra mile.