Customer-focused working in healthcare: what should you definitely pay attention to?
15 September 2023
7 tips for customer-oriented work in healthcare
A successful customer experience journey begins with a good understanding of the sector and the typical characteristics of the organization. Customer-centric working in a commercial company is actually just slightly different than Customer-oriented working in healthcare. Customerry Cares shares some tips and specific points of attention for the customer-aware healthcare institution. Does your organization already tick off the entire list below?
Definition of client-oriented working in healthcare
A customer-oriented organization places the customer at the center of every phase of the customer journey and expects everyone involved within the organization to share that same vision. In the healthcare sector, the focus is primarily, though not exclusively, on the experience and satisfaction of the patient, client, or resident. However, customer-oriented healthcare institutions would also do well to take into account the experiences of family, visitors, and, of course, their own employees.
Client-focused working in healthcare: 7 unmissable points of attention
Although the points of attention below naturally apply to every type of organization, their impact in the healthcare sector should not be underestimated either. After all, experience shows us that the greatest potential for a successful optimization process usually lies in these points, which may sometimes seem simplistic.
1) Know your target audience! Who are your internal and external customers?
Who are the customers of your healthcare institution? Not only patients or residents, but also their families, visitors, suppliers, and others come into contact with your organization. Therefore, you want to thoroughly evaluate and optimize their experience and satisfaction as well, in order to understand and improve your overall experience.
2) View the customer journey as broadly as possible
Do not evaluate the customer experience solely during the actual care moment. The customer journey of your patient, client, or resident is much longer. The period before the physical visit and the experiences afterward count as well!
How easy is it to make an appointment? How is the patient received on-site? What are the average waiting times and how is this communicated? And what about aftercare? To measure and improve overall patient satisfaction, you want to take the entire process before, during, and after the physical visit into account.
3) Involve all stakeholders in your integrated quality policy
Not only care staff, but also other employees influence overall patient satisfaction. Every point of contact your customers have with reception, cafeteria, and cleaning staff leaves an impression. Customer-oriented work in healthcare requires that all employees contribute to the whole. The efforts of a friendly receptionist can easily be lost due to the rude behavior of someone from the logistics department. Customer-oriented work in healthcare is the responsibility of the entire organization, not of individuals.
4) Evaluate with a childlike, open mind
We are all, to some extent, corporate blind. Many things that seem logical to us often are not to outsiders. Or we make assumptions without questioning them.
It is also sometimes expected and believed that a comprehensive quality plan is adhered to to the letter by all employees, while a few random checks reveal that this is not the case. The interesting question then is “why?”. Is the procedure too cumbersome, vaguely formulated, or are there other motives at play among the staff? “Listening” to your own employees often offers a better solution in such cases.
5) Provide input in decision-making
How much input will future implementers have in the development of the procedures? Do you opt for a classic top-down approach where new rules are communicated from management to the rest of the organization, or is there also room for working the other way around?
Our experience shows that neither works well in an extreme sense, but that every organization develops its own style when it comes to change. In any case, you need the implementers for support and a sustainable result.
6) Take cultural nuances into account
What one person perceives as a positive and customer-oriented attitude may come across as negative to someone else. Diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, combined with language barriers, age, sexual identity, etc., can strongly influence the customer experience. Therefore, always view your processes and communication from different perspectives.
7) Not a sprint, but a marathon
For long-term success, a phased approach is always recommended. Spread out the implementation of new guidelines where possible and schedule interim evaluations. Be sure not to forget to consult your staff as well. What do they think of the new approach, do they see results from their efforts themselves, and do they have suggestions for further adjustments? Client-centered working in healthcare is not a one-year "project," but a pillar that requires multi-year commitment.
What's next?
Have you reviewed and checked off all the tips? Or has it given you something to think about? In either case, a thorough field test with sampling is never a bad idea. It provides either confirmation and peace of mind that the customer experience in your organization is effectively on point, or practical tips to achieve just that.
And are your colleagues just as convinced of the added value of client-centered working in healthcare as you are? With concise keynote sessions, customized training courses , or our interactive CX game, we put the theme back in the spotlight in an accessible way. Ideal as a refresher or to raise awareness about person-centered care.
Shall we discuss it?
Sure! Feel free to ask any questions first, or shall we schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting right away? We look forward to hearing from you.
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