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06/04/2007
Consumer Relations in Long-Term Care
Consumer Relations in Long-Term Care: Connecting with your “Non-Resident Customers”
By Marc Zimmet
Long-term care facilities face vastly different challenges than do other healthcare providers. This holds true for most aspects of operations, including Customer Relations. Unlike other healthcare venues, the long-term care patient/resident, in many traditional ways, is not the only customer in the long-term care transaction. If you define a “customer” as someone who selects the product and/or pays for it, then the resident’s family member (spouse, child, etc.) should often be included in the definition. Family members may be paying for the care or, more likely, helping select the facility their loved one enters. Therefore, the related party not living in the facility is also a valued customer.
Any discussion about customer satisfaction begins with quality patient care. Without it, no amount of fine tuning or community outreach will enhance the relationship or your facility’s image. However beyond care issues, there are many ways to differentiate your facility from competitors by catering to your “indirect customers.” Here are just a few relatively simple, inexpensive ways to enhance this connection:
Provide complimentary 2-way video phones: These phones cost about $75 each and work over standard lines so no special equipment/set-up is required. They provide an economical visual connection between resident and family. They are inexpensive enough to be given to the family upon admission.
Publish “Family” newsletters: Typically published monthly or quarterly, these newsletters offer content for family members. Subject matter ranges from whimsical (informing them about special “theme days” at the facility) to solemn (religious services, support groups, etc.). This project need not be labor intensive, as several companies offer generic templates (with articles) that can be personalized specific to the facility in minutes.
Offer online information: Several companies now offer a wide range of “e-notification” systems whereby family members can “log-on” to view specified information about their loved one or the facility. They can also opt to receive email notifications about certain events/issues.
Redefine advertising strategies: The first connection a prospective customer may have to your facility is through an advertisement (print, radio, etc.). Consider gearing the message to the family member, so when it is time to select a facility, your name will resonate with the decision maker.
The ultra-competitive nature of the long-term care industry requires facilities to broaden their view of what constitutes a “consumer.” By enhancing the connection to “non-resident customers,” overall satisfaction rises. Remember, it is often the “little things” that have the greatest potentiation, so strive for creative and inexpensive ideas to strengthen the bond between your facility and its customer.
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