Customer Is King

Every morning on my way to work, I stop by the local Starbucks for my daily dose of caffeine. On this particular day, the line extended out the door and around the building. As is common practice at Starbucks to expedite service, one of the employees stepped out from behind the counter to take the orders before the customers reach the register, so their coffee is ready by the time they pay.

I watched as Steve, an employee or “partner” who knows most customers by name and drink preference, went through the line with lightning speed and amazing accuracy.

“Hi Miwon,” Steve called out as he scribbled my name and order on a cup.

“Hi Rob,” Steve said to the person behind me. “One or two?”

“One,” Rob replied.

Moving on to the next customer, Steve asked, “Hi Liz, tall or grande for you today?”

“Grande, please. Thanks!” Liz replied.

What makes me loyal to this coffeehouse? Because Steve is not the atypical partner at this Starbucks location—all the employees greet customers by name. I could frequent other locations that are more convenient, but the customer service at my Starbucks is the best I have encountered.

On the other hand, a visit to my PCP was the worst experience I have had. First, I waited for more than an hour to see the doctor. When I asked the receptionist when the doctor could see me, she acted as if I was inconveniencing her. When I finally saw the doctor, she had no explanation or apology. She did not even deign to thank me for waiting so long. A colleague of mine had a worse experience than I. After waiting for more than an hour, she had to leave to pick up her son from daycare. Then the orthopedic surgeon had the audacity to call and reprimand her for leaving without fulfilling the appointment!

I discussed this with a friend, who is studying for her master’s degree in public health, about the disparity in service between purchasing coffee and visiting the doctor. Has this become the norm in health care? Shouldn’t I expect and receive better customer service? She told me that now doctors are being trained to say “clients” instead of “patients.” There is a movement toward the retail school of thought where the customer is king.

How did health care fall behind in the customer service aspect? This should be one area where doctors should be leading the way. The trust relationship that naturally develops between doctor and patient is something other providers of products or services must work to accomplish. The emotional attachment of patients toward doctors with whom they are sharing extremely personal problems instills loyalty.

When will health care catch up with the pleasure of buying a cup of coffee?

Miwon Seo
mseo@medpubs.com