Your organization can have a top-notch customer service plan fully supported by management, but if the bedside staff does not embrace the approach, it may as well not exist. The authors of this unique book contend that the best way to get buy-in from provider staff is to show them how customer service can make their difficult job of clinical care—easier!

Written by practicing physicians, this book includes expert strategies and advice about connecting with your staff on their level. Use the stories, quotations, and training exercises to build a fully supported customer service program.

Concepts the book explores include:

• Just as every patient has a technical, clinical diagnosis, they also have a customer service diagnosis
• The more patients know what to expect, the more they feel in control-and the happier they are
• Complaint and compliment analysis (with trending over time) and instant feedback to the staff is essential
• Because there is frequently a difference between provider expectations and the patient's expectations, leaders need to help staff learn to negotiate more effectively
• Predetermined scripts help guide staff through predictable, frequent, and even problem-prone areas in your organization
• Staff create "moments of truth" for patients thousands of times a day-the sum of which create the reputation of your healthcare organization

The book's numerous examples can be used as scripts for many common situations. Share these examples with your staff to use as is, or to spark the development of new scripts for situations that commonly arise at your organization.