The Devil IS in the Details

The countless ways our actions affect customer experience outcomes

In the forty-plus years I’ve been living on this planet, there is one sentence that I have come to completely abhor, “The doctor will be with you in just a few minutes." More unreliable words have never been uttered.

I’m pretty sure that hospital time is a lot like dog years – where 5 minutes really translates into something closer to 45. I can even recall one instance where I was actually forgotten. Needless to say, that miserable experience has been indelibly etched into my mind. I am forever a skeptic.

To me, nothing marks the character and reliability of an organization more than the attention and detail that is paid to the customer experience. As a marketer, within a small agency, I’m hypersensitive to how our clients and prospects perceive us. No amount of strategic vision and strong business acumen can overcome the reality of missed expectations and sub-par performance.

As a society, we've become accustomed to poor service. If you follow the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), you’re sure to see the roller coaster effect of perceived value of service across a broad spectrum of industries.

The healthcare industry, in particular the care providers, are now, more than ever, faced with the constant challenge of trying to understand and interpret how to provide the best care and experience, all the while trying to keep costs to a minimum. The results are far from consistent and have significant, far-reaching impact.

A recent article on Boomer Health Channels compares one of "America’s Best” hospitals (U.S. News & World Report) with the hospital experience in India. The differences are astounding. Obviously we’ve come to accept/expect a level of experience that in other scenarios would be completely unacceptable.

When you look into your own organization, how difficult is it for you to understand the overall customer experience? How long does it take the sales organization to follow-up on a request? How is customer service doing with handling challenges and inquiries?

Do you develop clear and concise communications for your intended audiences?

Whether we believe “the devil is in the details” or “the devil is the details” is of little consequence unless we're willing to put thought into action. The big picture, in terms of customer experience and expectation, can only be successful if attention is paid to the many attributes that comprise the whole.