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Customer Service in Health Care
Surveys have shown that baby boomers expect quality customer service to be practiced in the health care industry just as in retail. As boomers become seniors it will be increasingly necessary to understand patient satisfaction at the grassroots level.

Baby boomers have always been known for approaching the world on their own terms, famously seeking the "satisfaction" of which Mick Jagger sang. Now nearing their senior years – leading-edge boomers begin turning sixty in 2006 – their largely unchanged demands will soon dominate the health care industry. Because of their sheer numbers and their wealth, the baby boomers will certainly influence how service is delivered to patients. Numerous surveys have shown that, to no one's surprise, baby boomers expect more of their health care providers than previous generations. They want customer service, as it exists in the retail world, to become the norm in medical care. They look at their doctor as more peer than authority, and ideally want a cooperative, communicative relationship with practitioners. They are likely to independently research their own medical concerns and question professional opinions.

Health care professionals not aware of these tendencies soon will be, since senior baby boomers in search of quality care will soon make up the majority of individuals in the waiting room. Smart health care professionals and industry business leaders are already hard at work figuring out how they can appeal to the tastes and care requirements of tomorrow's seniors. Those that can successfully adapt to health care's changing landscape and embrace the concept of customer service in health care will excel at pleasing senior baby boomers.

With Customer Service in Health Care: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service ExcellenceI, author Kristin Baird breaks down the challenge before today's health care industry. Baird, who has worked as nurse, administrator, marketer and consultant in the health care field, takes a holistic approach to developing a customer service culture. She addresses the problem on an organizational level, goes through the basics of fulfilling a mission statement, and discusses team building. Focussing on step-by-step action, rather than theory, she offers tools for establishing customer service goals and measuring success; advice on tailoring standards to specific organizations; tips on maintaining a customer service-oriented mindset among employees; customer service techniques for physicians and nurses, and explication of how customer service fits into business development and marketing models.

Baird's work represents a timely how-to guide for health care providers, administrators and industry marketers who are motivated to establish a precedent of patient-centered care. It will be of interest and use to anyone involved in the health care industry, and very much so those working at a marketing or public relations level. As the baby boomers become seniors and need more often to avail of quality medical care, companies and providers who can convey an authentic belief in quality customer service will come out on top.

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