Customer & Client Services By Pat Reinhart RN

Customer and Client Services Competency: Explore personal responsibility as a healthcare employee to treat each person as an individual (customer service).

Customer & Client Services Client Service Strategies Goal is customer services satisfaction Who are the healthcare services customers? There are internal & external customers Internal customers are those who work in the healthcare industry & external customers are those who come to the healthcare provider for services, such as customers, clients, & patients. Patients & clients come to the healthcare provider for a number of reasons: sudden illness, an emergency situation, to obtain information about preventative measures to avoid future health problems, or a routine evaluation or physical examination. Whatever the reason, patients/clients/families expect high quality professional services (Juliar, p. 292)

Customer & Client Services Customer satisfaction & quality of care must be a goal of the healthcare worker What are some ways healthcare workers can promote high quality patient/client services? Stay focused on the client’s needs Listen attentively to the clients & their families & report any concerns to your supervisor in a timely manner Clients/families may have positive outcomes of their medical treatment, but may be dissatisfied with the experience due to a cold food tray, delay in answering a call light, waiting for tests, delayed treatments, an un-emptied bedpan, or delayed pain medications

How can healthcare workers promote quality healthcare services? Healthcare workers should recognize the client’s stage of development & how this impacts the client’s needs Recognize the impact of family in the client’s receiving of healthcare services Remember that in every healthcare setting, the client/family has feelings of vulnerability & may be in crisis (expect changes in usual behaviors)

Customer Satisfaction Maintain good relationships with internal & external customers 1. Look for & praise coworker for a job well done 2. Respect & show courtesy 3. Give a quick response to a situation or in providing assistance to another 4. Arrive at work on time & ready to provide client-focused care 5. Leave personal problems at home 6. Seek professional development opportunities to promote one’s own development (Juliar, pp )

Customer Service Healthcare workers should: Value seeing health care situations ‘through the patients’ eyes’ Respect & encourage individual expression of patient’s values, preferences & expressed needs Value the patient’s expertise with their own health & symptoms Honor learning opportunities with patients who represent all aspects of human diversity (QSEN)

Customer Service Healthcare workers should: Seek to understand one’s personally held attitudes about working with patients from different ethnic, cultural & social backgrounds Willingly support patient-centered care for individuals & groups whose values differ from one’s own Value cultural humility Seek to understand one’s personally held values & beliefs about the management of pain or suffering Value shared decision-making with empowered patients and families, even when conflicts occur (QSEN)

Common Expectations for Service Healthcare services should be done in a timely manner Services should be client-centered or family-centered Service should include caring & compassion (Juliar)