March | 2010 
It's On My Heart
 
Greetings!

First Surgery

Just had my first operation last month.  Not a big deal, outpatient, but still the first real operation I have ever had in over ... well, just a real long time, never been under before.  Only stitches ever done on my old body were in my mouth, some wisdom teeth thing about 35 years ago.  So I am helping my genius grandson build a snow fort in early October last year.  We were really getting it done,  it was an 11" snow and a wet one at that.  So after 2 hours, we came in and I discovered that I could barely move.  And the next morning I would not be able to move, hurt all over.

1 Month Later. 

May and I were on a trip in Myrtle Beach, I noticed I had a lump.  This may in fact fall under "too much information", but I felt like it was a hernia.  Went to the doctor the next week, it was.  They referred me to a surgeon, he said we needed to do surgery.  It would be outpatient, he told me it was routine, I would be able to walk home that afternoon.  So I set up the big day.

The night before I did not sleep good, not wild about doing one of those things I have never done before that included cutting into my body.  The morning of I decided to take some precautions, to stack the odds in my favor.  So I packed up a goodie bag, some advertising novelties that had my company name on them.  When I went into the pre-op area fully loaded, ready to bond with the health-care professionals.  When the main nurse came in, I introduced myself and offered her a personal time measurement device (a clock and calendar pen holder) for her desk.  She said she could not accept it, they were not allowed to take gifts.  I told her I had asked and gotten permission.  Small untruth, I never asked anyone, but it sounded good.  I told her I wanted to be more than that patient in bed 5, I wanted to be the friend who gave her a priceless gift. 

When the anthologist came in, I gave him a personal time management device as well.  He was thrilled, said no one had ever given him a gift before, he was very happy.  So he said he would get the "good stuff" out.  I told him I did not like any tubes going down my throat, he said I would never know it, I would be asleep.  My surgeon came in and actually marked by body where he was going to cut.  They really do that, I was impressed.    

They wheeled me into the operating room.  Just like on TV, big lights, all kinds of machinery, looked like Gray's Anatomy.  New nurse now says, we're gonna start the gas, put this mask on.  I repeated that I did not like anything going down my throat.  Behind me, the doctor said I would be asleep in 30 seconds, and that is the last thing I remember in that room.  Next thing I am aware of is my nurse leaning over me asking me if I knew what day it was, what my name was, that sort of thing.  It was all done!  What I can tell you is this, if I could get more of that juice that they gave me right after the doctor said 30 seconds, it would make for a very relaxing week-end. 

So I had not a single minute of pain, in fact, I went home and crashed.  About 24 hours later, realized I had slept through the pain pill schedule of  "every 4 hour" three times.  And now I had pain.  Took some that minute, and it finally kicked in about 2 hours later.  Then all went well.  So I am glad I had the surgery done, and while I did not walk home, I do feel better.

So here is my application for business.  Do what it takes to make the customer feel better about a process that they have never done before.  When I checked with  the hospital the day before, the admitting nurse told me it was routine, and they did lots of these surgeries every day.  I asked her if the surgeon was good, she said she had never had him do any surgery on her, but he had to be good to be doing work at that hospital.  So it was the truth.  Which is the best way to answer questions the customer may have.  I had a lot of paperwork to fill out, including a legal papers that gave May permission to make decisions for me if not able to do it myself.  All a little troubling, but still good to get it over with.  The young man who helped me was called a concierge, he was great at his job, and very professional at what he did. 

I got a card from the nurse who I gave the clock to, handwritten, personal note saying she hoped I was doing well.  Got a call from the hospital asking if they could have done anything better, improve the whole process in any way at all.  Just got a survey from the surgeon's team, asking:"how did we do?"

Maybe they send all patients that same package, not sure.  I am just glad I took in my bag of trinkets, made some friends, and had some fun time with the surgery team.  Another thing that happened was the nurse who helped me before the surgery asked me a lot of questions about pain.  She asked me what sort of pain, on a scale of   1 - 10, I wanted to achieve.  I told her  a 6.  She said that may be high, why not go for lower.  So I said let's put it at 5.  She told me what I had to do, just take one of her pills every 4 hours.

When I did not because I slept through the first 12 hours after surgery, it dawned on me that she meant every 4 hours.  Exactly.  And she knew what she was talking about.  Equip your people to give out accurate information, and tell the customer what is going to happen next. 

Then follow up after the installation, check to see how the customer felt the whole process went.  And it is not a bad idea to check more than once, or in more than one way.  So there are my thoughts after my first ever surgery, don't ever take it for granted, it is not just another day and another installation, it is the first time some customers have ever done this. 

Thanks for listening, we'll talk later.
---------------------------------------------------------------

JIM HINSHAW brothers
President
Sales Improvement Professionals Inc.

Phone: (602) 369-8097
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.SipTraining.com
 
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