The Best Customer Experience Means Owning One Thing
We can’t be all things to all people, though as companies, we often try. Take a hospital. You try to provide superior care, ensure patient safety, manage insurance claims, recruit top-tier staff, maintain excellent facilities — the list goes on. It’s a daunting task, and it’s hard to say that any one of those items listed sits at the top of the proverbial importance pyramid. But if you don’t have a clear north star set, the customer experience will oscillate.
I’ll give you an example. I brought my mother in for hip replacement surgery at our local hospital. I hadn’t been to this facility in years, only seeing my GP in her office annually, and screening here and there. So the prep and surgery experience would be fairly new to me and her. It was clear when we walked in, that the facility had been updated with a modernized lobby and on-campus coffee shop. Nice first impression. We proceeded to the floor where we’d do her intake, prep for surgery, and the post-op. The process was as expected — the nurses and doctors were clear, followed protocol, and were thorough. While the surgery went very well, there was something else that was remarkable about the experience.
Every (and I mean every) single person employed at the hospital was remarkably friendly and experience oriented. To the point that it compelled me to write this article. Passing people in the hallway consistently said hello and asked if there was anything we needed. Employees in elevators asked how we were doing. Receptionists in each department were immediately responsive, communicative, and acted right away on requests. It was remarkable and clear that the hospital had established their north star — delivering an unforgettable patient and visitor experience.
While you might think that this simply happened to be a good day at the hospital, we came back multiple times for checkups and testing. The same experience occurred again. We had been to other hospitals in the past, specifically some nationally recognized ones, and this level of attention and engagement didn’t occur. While providing great service, it was unremarkable and pretty much the same as any other hospital. This one was different.
Yes, the initial first impression of modernized facilities was positive, but to an extent expected. Who wants to enter a rundown facility for a major proceedure? But efficient and clean operations was the baseline — every hospital should have this. The unique difference was the “customer experience”. It was obvious that the organization had invested extensively in employee training and communication with patients and families. It was clear this was critically important to the brand, but also the culture. It was clear they had hired not just for skillset, but for empathy and personability. So much so, that everyone owned it.
And this is the difference between a great customer experience and an exceptional one. This hospital wanted to “own” the customer experience. They knew all the other elements, including safety, facility management, operations, etc., were all important, but the thing that drove the culture, decision making, and behaviors was first and foremost delivering an exceptional experience.
If you want to make your organization remarkable, decide what you want to “own”. What do you want to be so memorable for that someone would spend time writing an article to tell others about? What do you want to be the best at which no other competitor can reach? You have to pick one thing and be determined, disciplined, and focused to become the best at it. Once you know what that is, the rest will fall into place around it.
About the Author
Andrea’s 24-year, field-tested background provides practical, behavioral science approaches to creating differentiated, human-focused organizations. A 4x ADDY award-winner, TEDx presenter, and 3x book author, she began her career at a tech start-up and led the strategic sales, marketing, and customer engagement efforts at two global industrial manufacturers. She now leads a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations differentiate their brands using behavioral science.
In addition to writing and consulting, Andrea speaks to leaders and industry organizations around the world. Connect with Andrea to access information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available on www.pragmadik.com or www.andreabelkolson.com.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
