Joining our host, Sage, today, to discuss how customer service plays a role in client retention for healthcare organizations are Azure Hardy and Nathan Buss. Azure is the Senior Director of Customer Care and Chief of Staff at Therapy Brands, and Nathan is the Customer Care Manager at Theranest. Together, they bring their expertise today to explain the relationship between patient experience and client retention and offer advice to practices on how to build better customer service.

Azure and Nathan begin by discussing the importance of customer service and excellent patient experience in client retention, and why practices should thrive to improve patient experiences. Azure reviews the top three traits of a great customer service agent: curiosity, empathy, and tenacity, and our guests and host go on to discuss the importance of reflective listening and creating clear timelines to assist customers. Client retention is so very much a key component to the success of any organization, and today’s episode offers a blueprint to follow which will ensure that customer service makes this a reality both in the world of healthcare and beyond.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   The importance of customer service in client retention

-   Why you should improve patient experience

-   3 best traits of a great customer service agent

-   The power of empathy

-   How to listen and repeat back to customers

-   Resolving conflicts with reflective listening and clear timelines

-   Azure and Nathan share their experiences with customers

-   Azure’s advice to customer service agents

Quotes:

“The universal principles of good customer service like clear communication, compassionate response, and conflict resolution are as relevant to health care administrators as they are to any other public-facing profession.”

“Customer service is key to retention. The two really go hand in hand. ”

“If you can't deliver timely and accurate customer service, you're at serious risk of losing your clientele.”

“Every interaction you have with a patient is an opportunity to provide excellent customer service.”

“Treating somebody well not only makes them feel important, but it also builds a relationship.”

“To provide excellent customer service, you have to be willing to dig into it. You have to be willing to explore what you don't know.”

“No product or service is static - healthcare shouldn't be either.  We're always learning, we're always adapting.”

“You don't necessarily have to have the answer right there at the moment. You just have to be willing to actively listen, empathize, and then provide that clear timeline of what you're going to do to make it right.”

“Customer service is all about iteration, nothing is ever static.”

“It's sort of our role as humans, in my opinion, to try to carry each other's burdens as best as we can and help each other in any way possible.”

“At the end of the day, most people just want to be heard and know that somebody cares. That's really a human trait that we all share.”

Show Links:

Therapy Brands

Azure's LinkedIn

Nathan's LinkedIn