Robert Thomson

The issue of how physicians and supervisors interact with their medical practice staff is an important one that affects daily operations.

It is very important for physicians and practice administrators to maintain a professional and not overly comfortable relationship with their staff. It is very often the case, I am afraid, where employees misinterpret friendliness when dealing with their bosses. They may mistake friendly conversations with a desire for a more serious relationship. Employees may see a doctor who likes to teach or talk with one employee as being favoritism and feel somewhat rejected. Hard feelings and jealousy may develop.

Notice, I did not specify the sex of the doctor or the employees because it really can affect both sexes. I once worked at a place where the staff and surgeons shared the same lounge/break room. We were all sort of a big family. At times, a female surgeon who I knew very well and worked with on a daily basis would sit next to me on a sofa in that break room so we could talk together. Believe me she had no interest in me. The problem was the doctor made it a habit of sitting very close to me and it was perceived, by some, to be inappropriate behavior. They complained and the sofa disappeared. We got a lounge full of cold individual chairs without cushions, positioned around individual tables. Also, a consultant was brought in to give a talk on sexual harassment to the staff.

Although both the furniture and consultant probably cost a pretty penny, I think the administration considered it a bargain when compared to a lawsuit. I mention this only to point out how perceptions can be very, very mistaken. And can be very expensive. The terms sexual harassment and hostile environment come to mind. What other people perceive when they see you talking to the same person all the time can cost you.

Employees do seek out the attention of their physicians, as you all very well know, and will use that attention to their advantage when dealing with others. Other people may feel they cannot voice their opinions or disagree with that person because they are the doctor's favorite. So please keep things on a completely neutral, professional basis and treat all your employees the same. Everyone enjoys a friendly work environment but just try and keep your actions in check.

Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:

• When talking with your staff, try to stick to business issues. You can use this time to take the pulse of your practice and ask if there are any problems. If there are problems, ask your staff for their thoughts on how to fix them.

• Don’t spend more time with one employee than the others.

• Try to maintain a strictly professional demeanor when interacting with your staff.

• Never talk with a staff member alone in a closed room.

Everyone wants to work at a place where everyone is friendly. And having a little fun doesn’t hurt moral. But for the reasons I stated previously, try to keep your behavior in check and professional so there are no misunderstandings.

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As a physician or administrator, you should be close to your staff, but also maintain professional standards. 

Avoid Perceptions of Inappropriate Behavior at Your Medical Practice

In the event there are personality clashes or arguments between two or more of your medical practice employees, there are several things physicians and administrators need to do to get the team back working together and moving the organization forward.

Bring the parties together and let them each tell their side of the story

It is very helpful and healthy to let everyone get things off their chest when they are upset. You will get a better picture of what is going on and how each truly feels.

A lot of times, people in these situation lose perspective and sight of the big picture. Point out things the parties may not have thought of. You are probably a little further from the situation and can better see things. You are in a better position to identify what the real problem may be.

Are the employees from different departments? Do they have different goals? Knowing the real issue at hand is the only way to develop the right solution. In some cases, it may be that putting the two employees on separate projects or realigning project goals to accommodate different needs is the best solution.

Workplace disputes are very common and inevitable when people work in close proximity on a daily basis. Knowing when to step in and referee when conflicts start to affect their work or the work of others is critical. They may be able to work things out between themselves but if not...

Teach the employees to appreciate each other's differences

Now that they have gotten everything off their chest, you can have them objectively look at the situation. You can point out strong points or approaches to each employee and you may be able to combine the strong points of each person’s approach to solve a particular problem. Look for common ground. No matter how complicated the situation is, you should be able to find some things the parties can agree on and then talk through to a solution.

Assert your needs and the organizations needs

Explain to the parties how important it is for everyone in the organization to work together for the common good. Remind them it is their job to perform and take care of business. If it is a personality conflict, tell them each that it doesn’t matter if they like each other - they get paid to work together and get the job done.

Approach problem solving with flexibility

Identify different options for solving the problem and manage any impasse with calm, patience, and respect. Let the parties solve the problem. Do not do it for them unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Ask them questions and try to lead them to a compromise or agreement. If you make a decision one way or the other, someone is going to feel hurt. Take a break if you find it necessary. It is important that all parties buy in to the solution.

Different conflicts probably have different problem-solving techniques, but I hope these basics will help you manage most of the conflicts that may arise. In the Navy, at sea and underway, we had a different approach to solving conflicts between two sailors. We would put them into the “bosun's locker,” lock it, and the person who was able to walk out after the problem-solving session was the one who got his way.

I am glad we have found better ways to manage personnel conflicts, aren’t you?

There will be personality clashes or arguments between members of your medical practice staff. Here are some tips to reach a resolution and reinstate teamwork.

Settling Conflict between Your Medical Practice Employees

I walked upstairs and entered the office for my second medical appointment of the day. When I walked up to the receptionist desk, a young man with a headset on, who had been looking at a computer monitor in front of him waited, then looked up at me and said, "Name"? No smile, no facial expression. I got the feeling I had interrupted something. Still upset from my previous appointment I said to him, "Well hello to you too." in my most sarcastic voice. If he got my message he did not show it. I gave him my name and he told me to have a seat in the waiting room.

I only had to wait maybe 10 minutes when the physician I had come to see arrived and we went to his office. He was very friendly and is always a pleasure to talk with. My visit went smoothly.

Afterward, I went back to the first clinic I had visited and it was closed (after telling me to return).

So let’s talk about why people act the way they do in customer service positions; why some people just perform badly. Is it from a lack of knowledge? Perhaps. However, I know that most human resources departments and training staff no matter the company cover good customer service techniques during orientation. I know as a professional who studies and writes about these types of subjects that there is no lack of information on the Web and in print about what good customer service is. Everyone 

 be a little bit familiar with the subject. So why?

I believe it has to do with some social, socio-economic, and cultural issues. It seems to me that:

1. People are more selfish and self-centric these days, in general;

2. The workplace has become more and more competitive and winning has become everything; and

3. Some individuals sometimes use customer service positions to show that they now are in power and can be in charge, even if it is in just a small function such as controlling the front office.

You really have to think of these things when interviewing candidates for patient service and patient care positions. In general, you must know the type of person you are managing to be able to communicate with them and manage them effectively.

After leaving the Navy some years ago. I had to take a job in the hospitality industry. It soon became very apparent to me that people were very competitive in the workplace and that you could not trust many people. I had people sabotage my efforts, left and right, and who worked behind my back to try and make themselves look better. This took some getting used to. I had gotten used to the team environment I had been in during my 13 years in the Navy and did not expect this.

I also believe that people have become desensitized to bad manners and bad customer service. We experience it daily; over and over again. The threshold just keeps rising. I mean how many people can you correct? How many people can you tell off? And why should you do some managers job? You don’t get paid for it. And it takes time to do, right? And don’t even get me started on the managers because a lot of times you ask for a manager and get the same bad treatment, if not worse, than that for which you called him to complain about.

So I still believe the keys to changing the damaging effects of personnel who do not display a happy, helpful, caring attitude are the things that I have already talked about. Namely:

• Inform employees from the start what you expect from them and reinforce it routinely.

• Monitor your patients; treat the whole person.

Next week, I will discuss the techniques you and your staff must use when dealing with an angry and upset patient.

Despite training and numerous resources on good customer service, the opposite occurs regularly in medical practices. Here’s my theory why.

Why Poor Customer Service Continues in Medical Practices

Recently, I went to two medical appointments. Both practices were inside a local hospital. I am fine. Thank you for wondering. But I thought I would write and give you my impressions of my visits.

My first visit was to a specialist’s office, I had visited once previously. My appointment was for 2:20 p.m. and I arrived about five minutes early. I walked up to the receptionist and she asked me if she could help me, without a smile, in a totally unfriendly, sarcastic voice. Trying to be very pleasant, I told her my name and said I had a 2:20 p.m. appointment with so and so. The next thing out of her mouth was a question about my insurance in the same grumpy tone. Then I was told I could have a seat in the waiting room.

Well, the more I thought about what had transpired the greater the effect she had on me. I went from being in a very good mood to a semi-bad one. I thought it might of been me but then noticed she treated everyone she came into contact with the same way: technicians, the janitor, someone in a lab coat who may have been a resident.

Around 3 p.m., I was finally informed that the physician I was scheduled to see was in emergency surgery. With another appointment at 3:30 p.m., I could not wait and was told to come back afterward. If I couldn’t be seen then, the practice would reschedule my visit.

Can anyone see where I am going with this story?

If you do not like people or do not care about others, do not take a job working at a physician’s office. If you have personal problems, leave them at home. If you don’t want to be around sick people, find another type of work. If you have a personality disorder, don’t go into a job where you have to work with others. I’m sorry; I am not trying just to vent here.

Your practice doesn’t need someone like this office’s receptionist on its payroll. Nor does any business. She will cost this doctor or practice lots of money before she leaves her job unless she is supervised and trained correctly. And if she does not change her performance then 

corrective action needs to be implemented using progressive steps of discipline.

 That is what human resources people call covering yourself in order to fire someone. But maybe, she should never have been hired. This was the second time I had been to this physician’s office and she had the same attitude both times.

You really need to hire the right people to represent yourself and your company to the public; or you will lose patients and money.

Let’s talk about some key things you want to look for in a person when hiring them for a position like this. You need to hire someone who is:

 You can talk with your employees and help them see that their role is important to the health and welfare of other people. Make them understand how 

 would feel if they were sick and went somewhere for care and were treated badly. Ask them to empathize with the people they come into contact with. Make sure they understand that it is an important part of the job.

 Empathy requires listening. Empathetic people listen attentively to what you’re telling them, putting their complete focus on the person in front of them and not getting easily distracted by what’s on their monitor or telephone. They spend more time listening than talking because they want to understand the difficulties others face, all of which helps to give those around them the feeling of being heard and recognized.

When you hire people for positions where they will be interacting with patient, hire those people who genuinely seem happy and have good personalities. This may be hard since most people you interview will be trying to say and do whatever it takes to land the job, but with some experience you will be able to judge who is truly a happy person. And there are psychological questionnaires that can be used to help you ascertain what people’s personalities are like and what motivates them.

Next week, I will finish telling you about what happen at my second appointment and why I think people act badly in customer service positions.

When hiring for your medical practice, you want staff to treat patients as if they were the patient themselves. Here are three traits to look for.

Three Characteristics of Ideal Medical Practice Staff

some key customer service techniques to use at your medical practice

. Now let's address how to train your staff to be at their best on these aspects and any other patient interaction.

I believe that there should be routine customer service training in all of your practices. How often depends on how big your practice is. You can break it down into different areas and go over each once a month. And you need to keep repeating this training. All of these things I have touched on should be reinforced and their importance stressed to the team.

• The leadership of your practice should get together and develop clear training objectives. You must develop an outline that highlights the components, objectives, and purpose of the training. The outline can be then used for organizational purposes and as training literature for your staff.

• Develop presentation materials you can use in the classroom like PowerPoint projections, handouts, workbooks and others materials. Create written materials for staff self-study. Write and print materials that outline customer service policies and procedures. Materials should include handy references that staff can refer to long after training. Make copies of these materials and distribute them to your training class. Keep original copies in a training folder or binder

• You might want to have a mock telephone and computer in the training room. Make sure to create different scenarios for your staff to play different roles.

• You can include many topics in your training program. They can be very simple topics at first and then can graduate to more complex ones such as how to manage angry or difficult patients.

• You can develop and teach the customer service program yourself or hire a professional to develop a customized training solution for you.

There needs to be follow-up on how staff performs and accountability for how they treat your patients. This can be all be documented in staff performance evaluations and included in their records.

Think of this as CPR for your practice. As a physician, you only see your patients. You do not hear what is happening on the phone when your patients call unless the calls are monitored. And you do not see how your patients are treated when they come for their appointments. Of course, when you interact with your staff they all seem happy, smiling and willing to help. Why? Well, sometimes it is just because you are a doctor and you are their boss.

So how do you stayed in tune with how things are going in your office? There are a number of ways:

• You need to make it clear to your office supervisor what you expect of the staff so that they can monitor things and report back to you, either at the end of the day or in a weekly staff meeting.

• You can do patient service surveys. Patients can be asked to answer a few questions at the end of their visit and then submit them anonymously before leaving. You can also ask them for their input online or by e-mail.

• You could monitor phone calls and recording video of the waiting area where you could see the patient and staff interaction.

• How about having someone pretend to call and make an appointment every once in a while and do a professional assessment of the quality of service they received? Then use this as a training tool later.

• How about putting into place a rewards program where patients can nominate the person they felt was the most friendly and helpful in their view during their visit? The person with the most nominations each month wins a prize and their picture, name, and position posted in the waiting room for all to see?

Happy patients - spreading the word about you and your medical practice - are priceless.

Routine customer service training should occur at your medical practice. Here's how to make a training plan and check in on what staff are taught.

Customer Service Training for Your Medical Practice

It has become very fashionable for doctors and other professionals to invest thousands of dollars of their hard earned money on website design, blogs, webinars and podcasts, and time in engaging in social media, with the hopes of developing a larger practice and enormous followings across the different social media platforms.

And all of this is done for several reasons, primarily to get their name out "there" so they can draw in more patients thereby, making more money, and to keep up with or surpass the other guys they compete with. If you ask me, I think this is all great.

You can do all of these things and attract great numbers of new patients, but if you don't do the following things right, patients will seek help somewhere else the next time they need it. And I don’t have to tell you how competitive the market has become.

Giving top quality medical care should go without saying. This is what you trained all those years for and what I am sure you all provide to your patients. But they need more than that when they call or visit your offices. They need great customer service.

When patients call, they should immediately hear a friendly, live voice answer. They should not hear, "Could you hold please?" Someone should be manning the phone at all times. They should at least sound like they are in a good mood and that they care. This may be the first impression this person gets of your office and your staff.

If it is a new patient calling to schedule an appointment, they need to hear that you accept new patients, the types of insurance you accept, and your availability. Give them detailed directions to your office and let them know that you have new patient forms on your website they can fill out ahead of time. Tell them if they have any questions before their appointment to please call back with them or e-mail them to your office prior to their visit.

If it is a patient with a medical question or concern, have the receptionist collect all the information they can from the patient, showing compassion and concern, then either find a nurse who can help the patient by answering their questions or tell the patient that you will ask the doctor to call them as soon as it is possible. Tell the patient when that might be. If the doctor answers such calls at the end of the day or another time, let the patient know what to expect.

Your office should be easy to find. It should be easy for someone to find parking there so that their blood pressure is not elevated when they arrive for their appointment. They should be greeted immediately, as soon as they enter the office; not when they finally come up to the appointment desk. They may not even know who they should approach if they are new patients and have never been there before. Staff should 

 be friendly, courteous, and display a caring attitude and should always carefully listen to the patient.

Hopefully, your waiting room is clean, organized, and comfortable. It should be an attractive room where patients can wait and relax.

In my opinion, there should never be a wait unless the patient is early; at least that should be the goal. It should be possible for the office administrator to manage this function so that the physician is available at the time the patient was told he would be seen. I know that the impulse is to fit as many patients into a day as possible for the revenue. But if patients have to wait a long time to be seen, they become unhappy. Unhappy patients - for any reason - tell their friends about their bad experiences; they talk about them in e-mails and on Facebook and Twitter. They make plans to see other doctors the next time they need one. If some unforeseen medical problem develops or misunderstanding occurs or things are just not to their liking, they are more likely to call their lawyer. So to make a few bucks stacking the schedule you end up losing in the long run.

If for some unforeseen reason a doctor is going to be delayed, make sure someone goes and tells the patient that it cannot be helped and that you are sorry for the delay. Just keeping the patient informed shows them that you care.

Next week, I'll share some tips on how to train your medical practice staff on some of these key aspects of customer service.

Corporate customer service techniques tailored for use in physicians' offices can increase your patient base, revenue stream, and good reputation.