Kenyon Connects

Quality can be elusive. Definitions tend to vary from person to person, and often what is considered excellent by one is just a variable in perception by another. Yet we all know quality is a key ingredient to business success. Years of experience have taught me that even elusive concepts can be corralled into tangible results, and quality, particularly in Private Pay, actually has a lot to do with having expectations that can be delivered upon.

To build quality into your organization, you must have a clear idea of what your customer wants from you. The initial intake and assessment visit are critical to identifying your customer’s desires and needs. Failure to identify what they are looking for often leads to unmet expectations and an unhappy client or family. Whenever I’m brought into a Private Pay agency to help build their business, I always do a review of their intake practices. Often it’s just a matter of rewriting the questions so that they better reveal desires and outcomes. Once that is accomplished, the plan for implementation becomes much easier and has a higher chance of success.

The next step in quality is that all services must be delivered in a way that creates the ‘wow ‘ element for clients. This ‘wow moment starts with the first phone conversation with your intake staff and continues through all levels of the customer experience, including how your home aide delivers care. To accomplish a sustained ‘wow’ experience, you have to have a stellar staff that loves coming to work everyday

How do you accomplish that? Actually, it’s relatively easy: take care of your staff and they will take care of you. Offer your staff continuing education. This can be on-site training or connecting them with local colleges that provide courses that will increase their knowledge base. Develop career ladders and advancement opportunities for those employees who want more from their jobs. Pay your staff equitably and be generous with praise and compliments. Develop a culture of best customer service that can be seen and felt by your employees as well as your clients and referral sources. Turn your company into a “learning” organization: learn what your customers want and deliver what your staff needs to fulfill those expectations.

As competition becomes fiercer, the successful Private Pay agencies will be those that are committed to and master the culture of quality. Well-informed staff that can readily deliver the “wow” experience is the wave of the future and a guarantee you will have loyal customers. Jump on board now so you don’t get left behind.

Category: Education & Training, Ginny's Blog