Well that’s your job! How about doing it?
Patient goes into hospital for a test. Papers are filled out to have results sent to doctor. Doctor does not receive results one week later. Doctor tells you to call hospital and find out where the results are. You call hospital and speak to someone who tells you they will send results right over. Two days later doctor still has no results.
Now considering the medical world is probably solely keeping the fax industry in business this is surprising.
I call back. She doesn’t know why the doctor did not receive them but if I give her the address she will mail it.
“But you have all that information? After all, you supposedly sent them the other day.” Now as to not piss her off, I mena upset her, I say “Perhaps there is something wrong with the fax on your end or their end.”
“Oh, they weren’t faxed, they were mailed.”
“Oh, I see. Well since we’re going on two weeks do you think you can fax them over or transmit them electronically?”
“But then I’ll have to go in the back and locate the files to send and I’m here all alone……….” (I tuned out and that’s when I started thinking…. Well that’s your job! How about doing it!)
I said nothing. There was a long pause. Don’t get mad; get silent is a great approach to getting people to think about their actions and perhaps do something.
“I guess I can do that. I’ll do it as soon as we hang up.” (By the way it was 4:50PM. My gut feeling was she wanted to go home.)
“Now that’s the answer I wanted to hear. Thank you. And I mean it. I know you folks work very hard and things fall through the cracks and I appreciate you going the extra step.”
My friends, there are enough studies out there showing how stressed out people are at work, how hard they are working, how morale is in the crapper etc. etc. I often find that acknowledging the pain, whether you’re on the inside or the outside of the organization, is much better than saying what you are really thinking.
I hung up convinced the fax would not be sent, but slightly hopeful. Very slightly.
Call the doctor the next morning. Guess what!!!!!!
No fax.
Back to the phone. Someone bright and cheerful picks up in radiology.
“Hi, from the sound of your voice you sound like someone who likes their job, knows what she is doing and actually wants to help me.” She laughed.
I explained the chain of events. She apologized for her fellow employees, did not make excuses and told me she just transmitted it while we were on the phone. She suggested I call the docs office to verify and call her back if any problems.
Well guess what. I had to call her back………………….
To thank her!
So here are three questions for you to ponder (and as usual I would love if you’d drop me a line and let me know the answers (or leave comments below):
- What techniques are you using to get people to go the extra mile?
- What techniques have been used by others to get you to go the extra mile?
- Are you having fun at work?
