Perhaps you're wondering why we chose "Customer Service" as this week's topic! This may be your lowest work priority. However, we strongly suggest it should be higher! The facilities rely on us to provide consultation services in an utmost professional, expedient and courteous way. This includes actively working to build a strong customer relationship and maintaining great communication resulting in professional trust. Professional consulting often is a delicate balance of active relationship building and handling sensitive information carefully, but forthrightly.  And, handling this right could be the difference of keeping and loosing the client. You are the face of HMC and clients see you as a representative of the company. (This, by the way, relates back to RD News a few weeks ago when we discussed professional dress for consultants.)

Let's look at some concrete ways in which you can improve customer service:

- Always enter and exit with your administrator and make sure to contact them while you are at the facility. Discuss your concerns and observations with DON. Be prepared to suggest solutions to the team.
 
- Work closely with nursing staff on the floors - CNA's, RNA's, and therapists. Explain your purpose clearly and explain why you need information from them.

-Leave your business cards with key staff and encourage them to call you or the HMC office should they have an urgent dietitian question or need.  Return calls promptly, but avoid using one facilities' billable time to take care of another's urgent needs --- be fair in all your billings.

- Sometimes you may feel uncomfortable in a consulting situation. The HMC senior management team is here to support you, so call us to discuss your concern. Respond with kindness, but it is fine to defer a delicate discussion and promise to come back with an answer.

- Respect all residents, family and staff. Never speak condescendingly of anyone. Value others above your own needs. Be especially sensitive to the hard working dietary staff.  Give them a friendly greeting and a sincere goodbye each day. Dietary may feel underappreciated, so remind them you value their contribution to the care of the residents.  Offer sincere compliments and praise for improvements.

- Don't become involved in rumor mongering. Do not take sides. Do not tell sensitive or confidential information between facilities.  Even when the facilities are part of the same corporation, they are competitors.

-Be polite!  This is like going to grandma's house -- remember your mom saying, "Please" & "Thank you" and "Always be polite"? The same standard applies here!