The Customer is NOT always right

Disclaimer: Healthcare workers are some of the hardest working people I know and I appreciate the commitment they have to their patients and profession.

But sometimes you gotta laugh…………..

So when I walk into a hospital and you seem bothered that you need to call the patient floor to get approval for an early morning visit prior to a relative’s surgery I feel your pain. I recognize I interrupted your conversation with a coworker and after all it is not you who are being cut open. And when I ask, okay demand, to see my relative after 90 minutes of being told I can see that relative “in a few minutes” I feel your pain. After all it is not you who are waiting to see if the surgeon didn’t sever your loved one’s artery. And when I hear you complaining loudly about having to work late the night before and missing an exercise class I feel your pain After all it is not you who may not being going home that night…… or ever again. Perhaps we the patients and visitors should be more caring and compassionate to your needs.

So for all the inconveniences we the patients and visitors have caused disgruntled healthcare workers I am publicly apologizing for everyone. Please accept this apology and not take it out on us or our family members. And for those of you who work alongside these people, there is a place for you in heaven.

The above is my recent experience at a hospital. It doesn’t matter which one and it doesn’t even matter that it is a hospital. It’s about employee happiness, communication and customer service.

I’m of sound mind and spirit so I can laugh at a miserable employee. I can brush off abrasive and rude behavior and move on; but most people cannot. I even do a pretty good job of looking past apparent ridiculous policies and trying to make sense of them. MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF DOING THIS!

So instead this is how it goes……..

You (the employee) get abrasive. The other person thinks you’re a witch and sends off I-wish-you-were-dead vibes. You retaliate with eviler vibes.

You overuse phrases like “in a few minutes”, with a smile of course, and the other person thinks you’re not being honest with them. Then when that person reaches a breaking point someone else unfortunately in the situation has to pick up your pieces; and too often sides with you not knowing the whole story.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

Who cares! It doesn’t matter.

Maybe I should have walked in and said “I know it is early in the morning but the doctor suggested I arrive early so I could see my relative before surgery.” Maybe you should have told me that “in a few minutes” really does mean 90 minutes; that the process of recovery to being sent to a room is not “a few minutes.”

But in the end they say the customer is always right.

Well guess what. I do not agree with that. The customer is usually not informed.

And if there is a big learning here remember that. The customer is not always right; the customer is uninformed.

But the question becomes what are you going to do to better inform me………….so we can both be right.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *