I was out running with a friend last week. She is the
manager of a local health club and she was telling me
about her frustration with setting up a preventative
maintenance program for the health club's "spinning"
bikes (indoor cycling class). She told me that a couple
of the bikes broke down DURING classes because no
one took the time to realize there might be a problem
BEFORE class.
As she talked, I got the impression that her club's
feeling was "if we fix it as soon as it breaks, then we're
doing a good job of customer service". The idea of the
preventative maintenance plan was "if we see a
problem BEFORE it breaks and we fix it, that's great
customer service".
I disagree....
I believe that gym's current program isn't customer
service at all....it's damage control. Fixing something
when it's already broken isn't serving the
customer...it's fixing a blatant problem.
The proposed plan of preventative maintenance is
more like GOOD customer service whereby the gym
(or a client) will notice a problem developing and it will
be fixed before it becomes a bigger problem.
What was missed in our conversation was an
example of GREAT customer service...whereby a
client NEVER knows there is a problem because the
gym is so focused on their business....they are aware
of developing issues long before anyone sits on that
bike at 5:30 AM and starts pedaling.
That, my friends...would be great customer service.
So, what does this have to do with homecare?
I'm glad you asked.
Your sales team is out each day making a "service
promise" to your referral sources. In effect, they are
saying "if you refer your patients to us, here is what
you should expect from us EVERY time we work
together". Do you know what your sales
team's "service promise" is? If not, you need to get out
in the field and find out!
Ask any homecare sales rep what their two biggest
frustrations are and you'll probably here this:
- I go and ask for a referral and then we don't have
staff to take it
- I get a referral call and it's not handled
appropriately
You all know the challenges we face when it comes to
staffing, so we don't need to discuss that again here.
The second point.....the customer service point, is a
gift you can give your sales team and your agency in
2008.
If you're finding out about problems
with your intake process from your referral sources,
you are doing DAMAGE CONTROL. If your referral
sources are asking you to make some changes to the
process so it works better for them (and you assess
and make some changes) you're providing GOOD
customer service. If you and your team are constantly
evaluating your level of service to referral sources and
critically analyzing how to make it better before the hint
of any problem....you are now providing GREAT
customer service.
Homecare sales is an easy job when your sales reps
can make a great service promise and KNOW that it
will be fulfilled every time. Invest some time after
Christmas evaluating your customer service effort and
giving it a grade. If you can take it up one notch in 2008
you'll be giving your sales team (and your clients) a gift
that will last long after the wrapping paper is gone.
