Focus on the Customer Experience (CX) is cure for ailing patient loyalty.
In an industry not often associated with VIP treatment, fine dining, and exceptional customer service, today’s hospitals are taking a page from the hospitality handbook of luxury hotels in order to build brand loyalty among their patients as well as benefiting their hospital down the road.
The idea of consumer-friendly, patient-centered, customer service is related to the fact that hospitals are being graded, evaluated and paid into the future based on patient satisfaction. Additionally, thanks to medical advances, pharmaceuticals and improved personal health, in-patient hospital populations have dwindled – creating a hard-nosed competition to fill beds.
To ensure that they are providing the optimum experience despite their medicinal and somber environment, hospitals have begun hiring not from other hospitals, but from exclusive resorts such as the Ritz Carlton and Disney World. Some hospitals now have hospitality department staffed with eager-to-please customer service representatives who routinely survey patients on how to make their experience more enjoyable.
So as chilly bed pans, green jell-o, and ill-fitting hospital gowns give rise to gourmet dining, plush robes and spacious rooms, we applaud the hospitals who have realized that exceptional customer service is a miracle cure for brand loyalty and have taken steps to create a positive customer experience at what may be a difficult time for the patients and their loved ones.
So if hospitals are willing to break the mold on traditional hospital care, what are you willing to do to create a positive customer experience that will create brand advocates, business referrals, brand loyalty and increased sales? Begin with a diagnosis. A brand audit from Electrum Branding can evaluate your customer service delivery and determine how well your team is adhering to your brand standards.