By SCOTT C. HOLLIDAY
The one emergency service that should have cornered the customer service market is the emergency medical service (EMS). EMS is all about compassion and caring for a sick or injured individual. We interact with these individuals when they are at their lowest and are reaching out for someone for concern, kindness, and help. We are a healing service that must treat not only the broken bones and diseased organs but also the person.
Why do some big chain retail outlets have greeters? Those people say hello at the door, direct you to the right department, and say thank you for shopping with them as you leave. Those retail giants compete with each other, and they want you to spend money in their store. They make every effort to make you feel special; help you; and, most importantly, make you want to come back. Chances are if you are treated poorly, feel disrespected, receive little assistance, and don’t have an overall pleasant experience, you won’t be returning. As EMS responders, we are generally the only “store” in town that provides this service. Does that mean that we aren’t competing for the customers’ dollars? Yes. We are competing with other municipal services for precious budget dollars. Whether it is valuable tax revenue, fund-raising dollars, or donations, we all fight for a share of that income. Elected officials do not like receiving phone calls and letters complaining of poor emergency service care. Customer service, public perception, and public support are what define you as a great (and well-funded) emergency service.
Does your organization teach customer service? Your employees might need a refresher, but most of the key elements for successful customer service were learned in kindergarten. Your kindergarten teacher probably told you to treat everyone with kindness, patience, consideration, and respect. You were told to always say please and thank you, and to be polite. All these elements put together make for the basic foundations of good EMS customer service.
To improve the basic foundation and provide exceptional customer service, you must set some expectations about what you think is exceptional EMS customer service. This means different things to different agencies. It might mean clean ambulances; neat, clean, and presentable uniformed personnel; or a level of service related to response time or level of care. To foster an extraordinary customer service atmosphere, find out what your customers want. How do you do this? Just ask.
Ask past customers what they liked and didn’t like. Go to your risk management people and find out what are the most common complaints they receive about your service. These are the areas you should stress and improve.
DON’T PASS YOUR BAD DAY ON
The kids or your spouse is sick, you had a flat tire on the way to work, or you spilled coffee on your clean uniform. Everyone can have one of those days, but it is how you handle it that determines good customer service. You must put the needs of the customer before your own. Deputy Chief (ret.) Carl Tramontana, FDNY EMS, says that we rent an employee’s behavior for eight hours. It doesn’t matter how bad your day is going; your employer and your customers expect and are paying for you to always be at your best. You can’t pass along your bad day to your patient. The patient is already having a bad day.
GIVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
Don’t act like delivering service is an inconvenience to you. Did you ever notice that you always receive a call just when you are about to eat, you just got a bathroom break, or it is five minutes before your shift’s end? Responding at these times can be inconvenient, and if the call is not an exciting trauma job or something interesting, you may give that patient less than your best performance.
Separate your performance and patient care from these personal annoyances. Develop a systematic approach so every patient gets the same attention and quality patient care every time. Also remove any mp3 players and bluetooth devices from your ears and turn your cell phones off. Never answer your cell phone when you are on a call. Your patient demands and is expecting your full attention.
PREVENT, PROTECT, AND DO NO HARM
People are calling you for assistance. Situations that you don’t consider an emergency they may consider a crisis. They feel vulnerable and helpless and are reaching out for someone to support them in putting order and stability back into the situation. Whether you are dealing with a traumatic injury or an illness, patients expect you to either “fix” them, make them feel better, or take them somewhere that will; they don’t expect you to make things worse when you arrive. Do everything to live up to that expectation. The old saying “What constitutes an emergency on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part” may be true, but we are trained professionals and the patient is turning to us for help. Our actions must be palliative and not exacerbate the patient’s problem. This comes from your attitude and how you present yourself. Be the professional you are at all times.
TREAT EVERYONE WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT
Every EMS instructor tells you to treat your patients as you would treat your own family; that is the best customer service advice you could ever receive. How did you treat your last 80-year-old cardiac patient? Did you introduce yourself to him and explain that you were there to help, or did you just start treating him without speaking to him directly? Younger EMS providers must respect older patients, who come from a different generation and may have a more formal expectation of their EMS interaction. Address adults by their surname, or use the terms “sir” and “madam.” This may sound strange, but it builds the bond and trust on which a good patient/provider relationship is based. Showing kindness and respect puts the patient at ease and makes the job easier. Remember your basic patient assessment techniques; get down to the patient’s eye level and speak clearly and directly to him using plain talk and nontechnical terms. Inform him of the situation, what you suspect the problem is, and what you are going to do for him; this is all part of informed consent and good customer service. Let adults participate in their health care decisions.
EVERY CALL IS A SHOWCASE
Each new patient is an opportunity to win over not only that patient but also his family and friends. First impressions are important. How you present yourself and how you treat that patient may be the only exposure some people have to you and your service. Studies show that when you meet or exceed patients’ expectation levels, they will tell only a few people, but if they have had a bad service experience, the whole world will know about it. In addition, don’t forget about the impression you make while on a street job. You may be focusing on only one patient, but there are multiple cell phones, cameras, and video lenses focusing on you. Act as if you will be on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper or the lead story on the six o’clock news.
How is your customer service? Did you ever ask your patient how you performed? Follow up to see how the patients felt they were treated. We can learn about the good and bad parts of our service from a quick survey.
Reward those EMS personnel who provide good customer service. Distribute newsletters and conduct recognition ceremonies to tell your organization just how well they are doing. Strive to improve those who get less than stellar ratings. If you don’t correct a problem and improve your personnel’s service, you perpetuate and condone poor customer service.
Emergency service providers do not always consider customer service, but it is a critical component of their job. Present yourself and your service as competent and professional. Strive to provide the best care and compassionate service to individuals in your response area. Take control of the scene, and make the situation better than it was before you arrived. Give each patient your undivided attention and your best performance. Treat everyone as you would want you and your family treated. Always do your best for your customers. First impressions are lasting impressions.
SCOTT C. HOLLIDAY is a 25-year emergency services veteran. He is a deputy chief with FDNY EMS and the executive officer of the Bureau of Training, EMS Academy. He is a 23-year New York City paramedic and a New York State instructor coordinator. He is also a state fire instructor at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy and is the chief of department for the Mineola (NY) Volunteer Fire Department. He has a bachelor of science in fire and emergency service administration from SUNY Empire State College and is a DHS master exercise practitioner.
