Food for Thought

By Stacy M. Menz, PT, DPT, PCS

There are great articles in this month’s edition of Impact focusing on customer service, which approach the topic in different ways. I found the articles to be very informative with multiple take-home strategies.

Stephen Albanese lays out a “Roadmap to an Amazing Patient Experience.” This roadmap includes the idea of full staff engagement and looks at the patient experience from all angles throughout the process. The roadmap spells out each touchpoint for patient interaction, discusses the Platinum Rule (which is a step beyond the Golden Rule in my opinion), and looks at feedback as growth opportunities.

Jerry Durham and Ann Wendel break down “The Customer Lifecycle” so that you can get a glimpse into how they create a customer for life. They have three specific customer touchpoints that they focus on: before, during, and after. The three areas are evaluated so you can put a plan in place to ensure your customers return.

Jeff Moore looks outside the box at “The Other Side of Customer Service.” He focuses on educating the community and the public on how physical therapy can benefit them. He pinpoints go-getters who want to make a difference in their community and consequently in the lives of their customers.

After reading these articles as well as all the other articles in this issue and online, I am excited to work toward implementing some of the ideas offered and bringing the thought of customer service to my staff. I am curious to hear and discuss their perspectives as related to how we can continue to enhance this essential area.

What are things that you and your business do well that create an exceptional customer experience?

And finally, you probably noticed that this month’s president’s letter is replaced by a committe report. Terry will submit his letters quarterly going forward and in other months we will share committee reports to keep you up to date on all association news.