Customer Service Lessons From the Healthcare Industry Any Business Can Use Featuring Jennifer FitzPatrick

Patient Experience Best Practices That Every Business Must Do

Shep Hyken interviews Jennifer FitzPatrick, founder of Jenerations Health Education and author of Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare: Boost Loyalty, Profits, and Outcomes. She talks about how organizations can de-escalate complaints, reduce malpractice claims, and promote better healthcare outcomes by improving patient experience.

Top Takeaways: 

• We go to healthcare providers to address a big problem; our health. Some healthcare practitioners know how to treat symptoms and illnesses; however, they are falling short of making the patients feel like they are human beings with respect and dignity.

• When patients receive great customer service from their healthcare providers, not only do they provide better reviews, fewer complaints, and malpractice claims, but they also have better clinical outcomes.

• Patients are not just comparing their healthcare providers with other healthcare providers. They compare their experiences in the healthcare world with the best customer service they received from anyone in other industries.

• Healthcare must recognize younger generations of employees (GenZ and Millennials) are expressing themselves differently than GenX or Boomers. Instead of focusing on external factors like the color of someone's hair or whether they have tattoos or piercings, identify the top qualities that truly matter to your patient's care. Are they compassionate, intelligent, kind, and reliable?

• Nobody wants to engage with the healthcare system. On a pain scale of zero to 10, most patients come in because they are at a seven or higher. Find ways to make the experience less painful for them, like setting the right expectations, providing updates, and not making them repeat the same information over and over again when it is not necessary.

• Plus, Shep and Jennifer discuss what is more important in choosing a healthcare provider, expertise or bedside manner. Tune in!

Quote:

"Train your people to do the right thing for your patients or customers, don't assume they know. Make sure that anybody who comes into contact with the patient and the patient's family members, from doctors to billing and housekeeping, are properly trained on customer service."

About: 

Jennifer L. FitzPatrick is the author of Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare. As the founder of Jenerations Health Education, Jennifer helps organizations develop happier healthcare customers.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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