Abstract
Customer satisfaction is the center of every service industry and over time a lot of work has been done to improve the quality of service provided. This has led to the creation of the concept of service excellence. This concept relies on many factors for its success and this research paper will take a closer look at some of these factors in regards to the health care industry. Patients are the core of the health care industry and their satisfaction is paramount. They need to feel safe when they are receiving treatment as their health is in the hands of another individual. It is extremely important to show them empathy and compassion as they are feeling vulnerable due to their ill-health. Making them feel safe will make them trust the caregivers making it easier for both parties. This trust will result in patients’ satisfaction and in return; the health care industry gains their loyalty.
Creating Service Excellence Culture
People encounter customer service daily as there is always a need for it; in grocery stores, government offices, restaurants, hospitals, etc. However; sometimes these individuals are not satisfied with the service provided to them. Service is creating value for another person and when that value is not created then that can reflect poorly on the industry. Therefore; many have been made to provide a better service experience to customers and these efforts have led to the creation of a “service excellence culture”. This concept presents the idea of accessible and friendly service at levels of the company. The service providers are genuinely concerned and invested in the created a great customer experience.
This is especially true at a hospital where there are thousands of patients visiting every day; providing them with the best service is extremely important as these individuals are ailing and need compassion. Getting the help they need at the right time and through the right professionals can help their recovery process. Just smiling at the patients at the reception is no longer enough as everyone is becoming socially aware and can differentiate between a genuine effort and a false attempt. Excellent service can lead to patients’ satisfaction; leading to better financial performance along with gaining the trust of the patients. Many components factor in service excellence; some of which are patient cooperation, health care providers’ competence, motivation, leadership and management (Lasserre, 2010).
Patient cooperation is one of the most important steps in providing the best possible service as it can make the process easier for both the patient and caregiver. If the patient does not agree with the type of treatment provided then it can be difficult to administer proper care. This can lead to a difference in opinion which can cause conflict between the patient and caregiver. It may cause the patient to outright reject the treatment and not get proper care in time. Therefore; it is imperative to ease the patient into the treatment by alleviating all the concerns and doubts. This will help in making the patient’s cooperative which makes the job of caregiver easier. In some instances; patients’ religion may cause them to reject the treatment; at such times the medical professionals should educate the patients regardless of their own beliefs. Having an uncooperative patient can affect the performance of the caregivers so it is important to approach such patients carefully as they can be impulsive in making the wrong decision. This can be very dangerous as it can affect their health adversely (Baird, 2014).
Health care providers’ competence is paramount as the quality of healthcare depends upon the skills and knowledge of the caregiver. Much advancement is being made in the medical field so it is up to the medical professionals to keep up with them to improve their competence. Advanced skills and knowledge can help in providing high-quality service. The medical professionals need to be highly competent as patients are putting their trust and health in hands of the caregivers. If the medical professionals have low competence then it can have dire consequences as their error in judgment can prove fatal to the patient.
Motivation can play a huge role in the performance of the caregivers and lead to job satisfaction. Many factors can result in high motivation such as salary, job environment, management, job security, etc. which can lead to better performance at their job and motivation to provide better health care. However; if the working conditions are not ideal then it can affect the performance and it will cause the patient to suffer; creating a bad experience. Most of the employees do not have prior experience so providing them with guidance and building their confidence can also make them loyal to the organization they work for. Many studies emphasize building customer loyalty, however; employee loyalty is also very important as the satisfied employee will do their best at every aspect of their job (Gnanasambandam, 2016).
Hospitals are divided into many departments each catering to a specific medical field that has its leaders and management teams. It is extremely important that the department is managed well and operates smoothly so all the processes are done on time. Delay in performance can serve as a huge setback throwing the team off the schedule. Effective management is essential for the quality experience of the patients. Performance is greatly affected by the management; lack of management can affect the performance of the health care providers. Great leadership and management can help the teamwork as a well-oiled machine where each cog is placed perfectly according to its abilities. Managerial capabilities can help in identifying problems that are affecting the team and help in timely solutions which can boost performance (Mosadeghrad, 2014).
These components can help in creating a culture of service excellence, however; the component that can be beneficial in increasing customer satisfaction is health providers’ motivation. Being satisfied with one’s job can lead them to complete their required tasks more efficiently. It also indicates that management is doing a great job in making sure that the employees are happy. Motivation can be a huge driver in giving one’s hundred percent by going above and beyond in providing high-quality service. If the employee feels appreciated then it also improves their cognitive abilities allowing them to make better decisions. It plays into patients’ satisfaction and experiences making them trust the organization with their health care needs. However; the lack of motivation can also lead to an opposite result so the hospitals should treat their staff with the same respect that is given to patients. It will not only lead to higher productivity but also allow the caregivers to provide great customer service.
In today’s society, people believe that customer satisfaction should have the top priority in the service industry, however; they tend to forget that great customer service is only possible when the employees are satisfied as well. Forcing them to smile all day does not have the same effect as one might think sooner or later the toll of a bad working environment can have adverse effects. A culture of service excellence is created by the employees and their happiness can lead to a high-quality customer experience. The same can be applied to the health care industry where patients’ satisfaction is of topmost priority.
References
Baird, K. (2014). Customer Service in Health Care: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service Excellence. John Wiley & Sons.
Gnanasambandam, S. (2016, February 19). (16) Customer Service Excellence—15 Critical Success Factors | LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/customer-service-excellence-15-critical-success-gnanasambandam/
Lasserre, C. (2010, December). Fostering a Culture of Service Excellence—ProQuest. https://www.proquest.com/openview/1b407c26824faa4b3fc112e7ffe9405f/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=32264
Mosadeghrad, A. M. (2014). Factors influencing healthcare service quality. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 3(2), 77–89. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2014.65
