We share our insights based on the experience gained

The global pandemic has brought many changes, both in our daily lives and in the way businesses operate. The pressure to reduce operational costs, increase customer satisfaction, and prioritize quality over quantity is greater than ever. Many organizations do not know how to deal with this. Through our collaboration with leading healthcare institutions in the Netherlands and Western Europe, we have noticed that small improvements in service lead to large increases in patient satisfaction. In this article, we’ll share insights and strategies we’ve gained from helping medical and diagnostic centers optimize their call centers while ensuring valued patient touchpoints.

1. Consistent and empathetic communication provides trust

Our experience shows that patients value consistent and empathetic communication. A clear, caring tone lays the foundation for trust, which is essential in any care interaction. Creating valued touchpoints during these interactions contributes to a positive experience for the patient. At a medical center in the Netherlands, we saw that by improving the way the call center dealt with patients, customer satisfaction rose to a score of 8.9.

Tip: Train your staff to engage fully with patients by asking clarifying questions, acknowledging their concerns, and providing reassurance. Training, for example through role plays and regular feedback, helps your team to further develop these skills, so that every contact moment is appreciated by the patient.

2. Clear and concise information transfer

Make sure the information you share with patients is clear, concise, and easy to understand. After providing information, check that the patient has understood everything correctly by summarizing. Every moment you share information is an opportunity to create a valued touchpoint that positively impacts the patient experience. By working with us to simplify their communication, a diagnostic center in the Netherlands saw a 12% increase in patient satisfaction.

Tip: Encourage your team to avoid medical jargon and explain procedures in simple, understandable language. Consider working with customer service experts to develop clear guidelines for effective patient communication and ensure that every touchpoint counts as a valued touchpoint.

3. Professional and personal in combination with emotional intelligence

With the increasing use of AI, the role of customer service agents is changing. They develop into more experienced and emotionally skilled employees, which significantly improves patient satisfaction. Every touchpoint, even when supported by AI, offers the opportunity to add value to the patient’s experience. By integrating AI into your service process, you can help patients in a timely and efficient manner, while allowing agents to handle more complex questions.

Tip: Combine AI with coaching and training to help your employees step out of their comfort zone. This not only improves patient satisfaction, but also provides growth opportunities for your staff. Ensure that every touchpoint, including when using technology, is seen as an opportunity to provide value and create a valued touchpoint.

4. Handle phone calls efficiently

At large medical and diagnostic centers, many of our customers have successfully implemented automated call center software to manage the flow of calls and reduce wait times, especially during busy periods such as flu season, for example. Every phone call provides an important moment of contact, and optimizing these processes makes patients feel heard and valued. Automated systems quickly guide patients to the right agent, making service faster and more efficient. Skill-based routing further strengthens this by connecting patients with the staff who are best able to answer their specific questions.

Tip: Prepare for peak periods by using temporary/flex employees, automated software, or scalable outsourcing support. Improving patient satisfaction does not always require major changes. As we’ve seen with healthcare institutions, targeted adjustments to customer service and strengthening valued touchpoints can lead to significant improvements.

5. Data Privacy and Regulatory Compliance (GDPR)

Protecting patient data is not only a priority, but also a legal obligation. It is crucial that call center operations comply with regulations such as the GDPR to maintain patient trust and avoid hefty fines. Given the importance of confidentiality, every touchpoint that ensures data security can help build patient trust in your organization. We are also aware that all of these processes can slow down the speed of customer service and affect patient satisfaction.

Tip: Use compliant systems to ensure patient data is stored, processed, and managed securely, without causing delays in service. Also, make sure your employees are well-versed in data protection rules so that they can strengthen patient trust at every touchpoint and achieve a valued touchpoint.

6. Consistency across channels

With more and more patients using multiple communication channels – phone, email, chat – it’s essential that the experience remains consistent across all touchpoints. Each channel provides an opportunity for a valued touchpoint, and maintaining consistent quality is crucial to ensuring overall patient satisfaction. From our experience, we know that maintaining consistent service quality across all channels can be challenging and also costly.

Tip: Ensure that all communication channels are aligned by developing clear guidelines for service quality on each platform. Implement automation tools like voicebots and chatbots to handle routine queries, such as appointment scheduling, across multiple channels while making every touchpoint of value as a valued touchpoint.

At Movements Marketing, we help healthcare institutions optimize their customer service and thereby increase patient satisfaction. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to add value and strengthen patient trust. Would you like to know how we can support your team? Feel free to contact us for a no-obligation introduction. Together, we can work to create an even better experience for your patients.