Originally posted 2/2/2015 on LinkedIn. David's father passed away 10/7/2015.
We started home hospice care for my father three weeks ago.
The experience has been transformative for both of us; for my dad, hospice care has delivered a noticeable (albeit temporary) improvement in his condition, particularly the emotional side of it. He's clean, comfortable, peaceful, and as happy as one can be when the body is failing yet the mind remains as sharp as ever.
For me, hospice care (aside from the tangible benefit of lifting the day-to-day burden of providing care for all of his myriad needs) has been eye-opening as a marketing professional. Over these three weeks, I've seen the power exceptional customer service has on the direct recipients.
To wit:
1) THE RELATIONSHIP MATTERS MOST
The nurses and home health aides that come to my dad's house every day make a concerted effort on each visit to connect with my father. It's not simply "how are you feeling today, Elliott?" (his answer, in typical macabre humor, is "like I'm dying."). These nurses and home health aides draw him into conversation, whether it's about the snow and cold or the Super Bowl or the stories behind all the antiques, knickknacks and memorabilia he's collected and displays around the house. In doing so, they allow him to feel like himself again, to just be Elliott and not a cancer patient lying in a hospital bed in his den. They provide a necessary service for sure; they also provide an invaluable measure of dignity for him.
TAKEAWAY: Go beyond the superficial. Get to know your customers as people. Every one of us is unique; every one of us has a story to tell. It's much easier to add value when you inherently value the humanity of your customer.
2) EXCEED EXPECTATIONS
One of Elliott's primary caregivers is a lovely young woman named Nadia. Nadia and her family emigrated to the States from Ghana when she was 11 years old. In addition to performing her job responsibilities at a consistently high level, Nadia has surprised my father with a steak dinner from the restaurant where her sister works, and now brings him his favorite iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts every morning. She spends time with him sharing stories of growing up in Ghana, and the difficult transition of coming to America on the cusp of her teenage years. She watches TV with him, encouraging him to remain current with the news of the world. She discusses what she's reading with him, and since he no longer has the energy to read the newspaper, she reads the headlines to him and gives additional details as he asks. Home health aides do a number of tasks that would seem gross to most of us while being paid a VERY moderate salary. All of these extra things, Nadia does of her own volition simply because it's good for her patient's emotional well-being.
TAKEAWAY: "Under promise and over deliver" is a cliche. Exceeding your customer's expectations requires effort. Do this well, and it appears effortless. How does your customer service exceed expectations? Are you going beyond the tangible requirements of your job to deliver intangible benefits to your customers?
3) ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
There is a core team of nurses and home health aides caring for my father each day. Two different providers (one Medicare-provided, one privately contracted), three visits per day, seven days per week. The work is far from glamorous--sponge baths, incontinence care, meal preparation, laundry, dishes--yet without fail, each member of the team performs their duties with nary a complaint. I see them throughout the day (it's the benefit of living on the first floor of a two-family house). Each member of the team shows up on time, has a warm smile and a kind word for my father (and me, when we see one another) and a pat on the head for my dog Maxine. Nobody complains about their workload, or the traffic, or the snow or their personal problems. They are just firmly in the moment--it's a wonderful example of mindfulness in the workplace.
TAKEAWAY: YOU hold as much power in determining the quality of your day as your boss, your co-workers, or your customers do. HOW you approach your work makes a gigantic difference in whether it will be a positive, productive day or a gloomy, miserable day. And if you're reading this, it's highly unlikely you're earning $14.75 an hour to change adult diapers for a living. If you have a great attitude, your customers will notice it. If you have a bad attitude, your customers will notice that too...and probably won't be customers for very long (unless you're a cable company, but that's a rant for another time).