IS CUSTOMER CARE NECESSARY IN AFRICAN HOSPITALS?

In time past, I have received lots of messages from Doctors and Hospital Entrepreneurs with one recurring theme;the problem of getting their staff to be more customer-friendly.

Being a practitioner myself, I perfectly understand this pain. I do know that a sizable proportion of hospital personnel are often rude, uncultured and lack basic customer care skills. 

Customer care is quite alien to the hospital environment. To some, it may connote thoughts of Fast Food Eateries and Banking Halls. It is often wrongly associated with skimpily dressed, smiling ladies “luring” you to open bank accounts you probably don’t need. I must confess that I have opened a few of such accounts that are currently dormant! The phrase “customer care” may also bring memories of uniformed ladies and guys in eateries trying to speak in polite tones while they sell you yesterday’s “edition” of scotched eggs!

If the truth must be told, most Health Care professionals feel they are too busy to bother about customer care. They feel the patient should be grateful that they can even access healthcare in the first place. Asking for anything extra can be viewed as sacrilegious. The patient is expected to come in, state his/her problem(s) and receive whatever treatment the doctor prescribes with a big smile and a “thank you”. While I understand that patients should not be given what they want but what they need, I think that there are better ways of passing the message across instead of what is commonly seen in most of our hospitals.

I have seen midwives and doctors screaming at and slapping (yes slapping!) hapless primis in labor. I have witnessed pharmacists shouting at elderly patients in the name of explaining drug dosage. I have also seen much worse. 

What really is customer care as regards the hospital? What is the best definition of customer care that will suit all concerned?

In my opinion, customer care covers the totality of care that a patient receives in the hospital. It is that care that tolerates the peculiarities of individual patients, respects their opinions and seeks to treat them as real human beings. It is that care that responds to the customers' basic need. This basic need is the need for HELP!!!!!! A part of scripture says “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  This means treat people (patients) the way you will want to be treated if you were a patient. Practicing customer care ensures that patients are respected, treated nicely and given all the information they need concerning their health. Customer care seeks to enhance the patient experience in your facility. It makes patients want to return to your facility whenever they are ill. It gives your hospital a pleasing and a pleasant ambiance. People will always go to places where they are celebrated, appreciated and respected.

The reality of today’s business world is that only companies with good customer relations can compete and survive. Companies with a poor customer attitude will gradually become extinct. Business is not only about producing good products/services but rather it is also about being receptive and responsive to customers’ peculiarities. This applies to hospitals as well.

 Patients are more knowledgeable now that they were 10 years ago. They know their rights and demand their rights. It is no longer business as usual. Hospitals need to adapt and improve their customer relations. It is either you shape up or you ship out! There are a lot of young guys out there that are ready to give older practitioners a run for their money. It is time for ALL hospital personnel to receive training in customer care; from the front desk staff to the laboratory scientist. This "revolution" in patient care must begin with the Hospital Entrepreneurs themselves. Employees must see and know that the hospital culture will no longer tolerate shabby care of patients.
So,is customer care necessary in hospitals? The answer is a big YES!!!

We all need to learn how to relate with patients. That way, they will leave the hospital with a pleasant experience and definitely come back when they require more services.