St. John’s, Antigua, April 8, 2010 – The Heart Beat Café staff at Mount St. John’s Medical Centre (MSJMC) gets a motivational boost with customer service training.
Commented Marketing & Communications Manager, Salma Crump: “Customer service training will be the magic ingredient that makes the hospital standout. We have talented physicians, dedicated and skilled nurses and many other professional workers - But each customer encounter has to be right the first time because this is what they will remember.” Continued Crump; “Very rarely do you ever hear anyone talking about their hospital experience from the clinical side – Not that it doesn’t count but the majority of the time they will tell you about how the doctor listened to them and answered all their questions, how comforting the nurses were or how the person who brings them their meals is always smiling. Heartfelt comments like those are what gets us referrals and that is what make patients and families happy (relatively speaking) – Their only focus should be getting healthy, getting back to their normal lives and nothing else.”
The employees were very candid and loved the simplicity of the program. General Manager of the Heart Beat Cafe, Calvin Francis further commented; "The content was tailored to make it really relevant to our cafe. The training was ideal for both staff who were with us from the beginning and newer members - Motivation levels improved significantly. Continued Calvin; "Everything was done in-house which was ideal for us. I think what stood out most for me was that it was down to earth and very engaging. As one member of my team, Troy Parillon said, “It was an eye-opener”. We have since committed to doing a supervisory training course with Mrs. Coates later this month.”
Plans are also in the works for Executive Chef, Ossie Barnes and Operations Manager, Charmaine Govia to visit another hospital facility to observe their food service operations. Following which, a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) will come in to run a staff training certification program so that all staff have the opportunity to become qualified.
Customer Service Consultant, Barbara Coates, explains the emphasis the program has on the participant’s perspective. “I know most employees are sometimes a bit apprehensive and seldom excited about training programs – Especially when experiencing it for the first time, which many of the staff was - But they quickly realize that this is not a typical training program. It was designed with the employee foremost in mind. The format, activities, absolutely everything, was designed to resonate with the participating employees. It was important for them to understand the role they play in the big picture of delivering quality healthcare and wellness.”
Continued Mrs. Coates, “Taking part in customer service training should serve as a reminder to staff of why they’re in this industry! It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut and to see it as just a job you get up and do. I think these training courses refresh and make them more aware that it is up to them to work as a team to make sure that they deliver the best service for patients and visitors.”
