Importance of Great Customer Service in Healthcare and How to Provide it

Learn how to provide great customer service in hospitals and healthcare with our guide. Discover the importance of great customer service and how it can improve healthcare outcomes.

Importance of Great Customer Service in Healthcare and How to Provide It

If you are a healthcare worker, you are already aware of the impact communication has on your patients and their loved ones. Whether you are a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or administrator, healthcare workers know that clear, empathetic communication is crucial. After all, health is a complex, sensitive, and often urgent matter. Poor customer service can lead to miscommunication, mistrust, and traumatic experiences for patients and their families. That’s why customer service in healthcare is so essential.

In this article, we will discuss the impact and importance of customer service in healthcare and how you can provide it to your own patients.

The Impact of Customer Service in Nursing, Healthcare, and Medicine

In healthcare, “customers” look very different from e-commerce or banking. These people are, first and foremost, your patients. They are relying on your practice to keep them healthy and safe. As with “traditional” customers, patients must receive clear and considerate communication and support to have a good experience.

When that fails, the implications are much worse than they might be with poor customer service at a grocery store. If a patient receives incorrect or disrespectful “customer service” from their healthcare provider, it can have a harmful impact on your business.

Bad Customer Service in Healthcare: Examples to Consider

Let’s say your patient is experiencing strange symptoms and wants blood work done. They try to make an appointment with their doctor, but the line is busy whenever they call. They eventually get through, only to be disconnected. Eventually, they make an appointment. However, weeks pass without any word from the practice about the blood test results. The patient calls the practice, only to be met with the same chaos of engaged lines, dropped calls, and long waits. If the patient has urgent health issues to address, this customer experience prolongs treatment and potentially worsens it.

The practice in this example is not trying to provide poor customer service. However, they are overstretched and lack the necessary tools to provide the service their patients need and deserve.

How to Provide Great Customer Service for Patients

You did not hire your doctors and nurses to answer phones or keep track of appointments. You chose them for their expertise and training in the medical field. The same goes for your administrative team. How can they support in-house patients and families when they are constantly answering phones and making follow-up calls?

The key to providing great customer service for patients is quite simple — outsource a medical call center. This allows your healthcare staff to perform their hired responsibilities while providing your patients with efficient, considerate, and knowledgeable support whenever they need it. BPO healthcare call centers can handle everything communication-related, like appointment management, incoming inquiries, and outbound communication like test results and other follow-up calls.

With TeleDirect, we make that easy. We offer scalable call center options for small practices, large hospitals, and everything in between — and we are available across the entire United States. Plus, we offer 24/7 coverage, so your patients never have to wait until morning (or Monday) to address their needs. We have also perfected the art of call flow for call center purposes, meaning patients will always be treated with respect and dignity — and their calls will always end up in the correct department. No wasted time. No fuss. No stress. That’s the way customer service should be.

Customer Service in the Medical Office: Challenges and Solutions

Providing top-notch customer service in medical offices and other healthcare settings can be challenging, but we can help you overcome those tribulations. Below, we will discuss two of the most pressing challenges regarding customer service in medicine and provide helpful solutions.

Complex Healthcare Systems and Processes

Healthcare management systems can be pretty technical and tricky to navigate. This can lead to problems like lost paperwork, missed appointments and mixed files. These issues are big “customer service” red flags that can be avoided. The best way to deal with this challenge is by outsourcing your support and administrative services to a company that provides complete call center solutions, like TeleDirect. Our call center platform makes your practice’s technical and administrative side easy and accessible.

Limited Resources and Funding

Many healthcare systems struggle with customer service because they are underfunded and do their best with a limited budget. That’s why we recommend working with a flexible and scalable BPO call center. They will work within your budget to provide the exact amount of support you need at a specific time. During busier periods, we will take pressure off your internal team and allow for a smoother internal experience. During slower times, we can step back until you are ready for our services again.

Your Patients Deserve the Best

Are you ready to give your patients and their families the customer service experiences they deserve? Get in touch with the TeleDirect team today by calling (800) 776-1081. We can talk about your practice, needs, and challenges with providing great customer service. We look forward to developing a better experience for your patients and helping your practice succeed.