I recently read a post by Debra Beaulieu of FiercePracticeManagement titled, "3 Reminders for Superior Customer Service." In this post, Debra points out that one of the keys to creating patient loyalty is to provide superior customer service and always consider the view of the patient. These reminders directly correlate with the relationship between the lab and the provider:
When the practice management establishment starts talking about superior customer service, lookout! With the progress being made by accountable care organizations, competition for patients is ratcheting up. Consumers are starting to care a lot about how and where the medical dollar is spent, and are increasingly more in tune with the value of medical services (which includes the overall experience). If laboratory results are 60-80% of treatment decisions, labs are by default integral to the customer service of that provider or practice...no choice. If providers are competing for patients, (we already know labs compete for providers) the stakes are high for labs to put solutions in place at a minimum to be on par with the providers they serve. hc1.com Healthcare Relationship Management uses lab analytics to uniquely address how to execute on these three reminders:
1. Empower employees to do the right thing: The key to lab employees making an educated decision is having all of the information. This includes, but is not limited to, provider activity in the forefront of orders and results, which is not found in generic CRM. Additionally, issues don’t arise when it’s most convenient. Having a 360 view of relationships anywhere, anytime, and on any device is real power.
2. Avoid Jargon: Jargon can occur when your employees don’t have the information or solutions needed to address a client issue (such as a provider screaming in the phone because they are about to lose a client). Jargon can be words used to fill space or mask the fact that, “I have no idea who you are, or what practice you're calling from, let alone where to start to answer your concern.” With hc1.com lab CRM and Healthcare Business Intelligence, jargon is not needed....only plain language:
“I’m sorry this occured Dr. White, I see the patient (Jane Doe) you are calling about and all of your previous call history. I’m ready to get the issue resolved for you."
3. Listening: Listening occurs with your ears, a true skill to be developed and honed. But what if your employees could listen with their eyes by looking at the data and feeling the vibrations of issues occurring across your entire client base? This is no easy undertaking if you don’t have the lab management tools hc1.com provides to see exceptions when they happen, how often, and who it affects. Imagine listening to your client say, “I hadn’t realized that issue was occurring until you told me." This all points to one novel concept: squash issues before they occur and build a lifetime loyalty by listening.
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