Been a while, my apologies...
Customer service and its relation to healthcare seem to be front and center these days (that is, if you happen to be a healthcare institution, the public probably couldn't care less right now). The question needs to be asked, what does customer service mean in relation to treating someone?
For most people, we think of customer service when we go out to eat, stay at a hotel, get on an airplane or purchase something. Those are generally positive experiences (we want something) and barring a problem, we expect to be treated with respect and from a personable employee. But in healthcare, almost the opposite is true.
Even for the most mundane events, who really wants to go to the doctor. Everything they do hurts. Even a simply shot pierces the skin and can cause pain. Think about that flu shot that made your arm hurt for days. What about if you have surgery? My wife has a heart condition and has had two open heart surgeries. Each time they crack her body open and inflict pain in order to save her. This is not an indictment of that process, but merely pointing out that after someone hurts your body, do you really want to then be asked to rank them on a scale of 1to 10? Is that even fair? Hospitals aren't hotels (as a New York Times op ed piece pointed out recently) and to think otherwise is unfair.
But having said that, organizations do need to remember that it's all about the patient and sometimes going the extra mile pays off. Making people feel welcome is a huge point. It's why Children Mercy hospitals are dolled up like play lands or why some hospitals include art in the hallways. The hospital shouldn't be seen as a bad or scary place to be, but they aren't a week long vacation on the beach either. Value Based Purchasing my do more harm that good for some institutions where they see sicker patients or perform more risky surgeries, because even under the best circumstance, the pain you feel can make you score them negatively, which can lead to lower payments.
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