LAST Acronym for dealing with unhappy Customer

 I came across this acronym in a book I have read and reread entitled. "If Disney Ran your Hospital 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently" by Fred Lee. I have liked it so much that I tend to use it in every situation where I face a person who is angry offended or feels wronged. The question here is not of who is right or wrong but of a genuine belief by the wronged customer that he or she are right in feeling wronged. 

 

Hospitals and healthcare are full of situations which lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. This is because there is a power asymmetry in a doctor/hospital vs. patient relationship in terms of knowing the problem at hand. Modern medicine for all it's advances remains subjective and careful communication at every stage is the key to creating a satisfied loyal customer. The book has many chapters dealing with many aspects of healthcare and the situations encountered in a hospital. But the key thing that this book brings out is that there is no difference between Disneyland and hospital and even though the service users come to seek different services, both ultimately want an experience which will make them want to reuse the services of the organization and recommend it to others. 

Therefore at the very outset the service providers and staff at every level must ensure that they keep in mind the following ground rules. 

• Sense and anticipate the patients requirements even before a need is expressed. While helping and directing patients every interaction must end with a question "Is their anything else I can do for you?" If the answer is "No thank you " then in most cases you have been successful in anticipating patients requirements. If patients require something then you make a note of the requirement and use that knowledge for self improvement. Initiative is the meaning of this principle. 
• Help the patient and each other by a strong bond of teamwork where no one in the organization tells the service user that he or she is not going to provide an answer or solution to the problem at hand. I do not know the answer to your problem so you go to another person is not acceptable. Instead the response should be please wait I will get things done by contacting the person who can help who in turn will ensure the service is provided. 
• Acknowledge the feelings of the suffering of the patient or any service user by feeling and trying to put yourself in the persons place. This requires some imagination and having employees with a strong Emotional Quotient. Empathy can come naturally or can be acquired by training. I think this quality is hard to achieve in a selfish self centered world we find ourselves in.
• Respect the dignity and privacy of the patient and treat him as a unique individual. Most of us who have come from privileged backgrounds and have got trained in public hospitals where due to overcrowding and poverty patients are compelled to accept the treatment offered we neglect this important aspect of care. Referring to patients as bed number so and so, talking about them as cases of so and so disease, even the one's carrying social stigma are commonplace. It is important to train one's staff to not only respect but express respect in clear words by calling them by names and explaining everything they need to know with patience and forbearance. Confidentiality is a patients' right and loose talk amongst colleagues and staff is to be strictly avoided. This principle can be called Courtesy.
• Explain means that we often tend to assume that we do not owe an explanation to the patient about his condition. Clear communication is the cornerstone of effective customer care and prevents future problems. However, we do not realise that despite a clear communication often there are changes in plans and delays in service which are unavoidable. What is avoidable is to explain to the patient the reasons for delay or change in plan before they occur.

So, initiative along with teamwork are extremely crucial but they are not of value without  the addition of empathy, courtesy and communication. 

An organization which has internalized these principles much like Disneyland and made them part of their culture, are less likely to face unhappy customers. Having said this, stress and temperament can do strange things to reasonable and calm persons, leave alone anxious sick patients. So I want to talk about L. A. S. T. an acronym which stands for 4 words Listen, Apologize, Solve and Thank. To this add Believe which has to be clubbed with Listen and Empathy clubbed with Apologize so te acronym cn become BLEAST. I prefer LAST because the more the letters the greater the confusion. 

Listening is a very difficult skill to imbibe but is very essential and to ensure that one listens without interruption one needs practice to do so in daily life. The average time it takes many of us to interrupt a conversation is less than 25 seconds. One has to genuinely believe that the patient has a legitimate grievance and has a right to express this. We are often jaded by our preconceived notions based on the image we have created of persons of different communities like the violent Muslim, hot headed Sardar, the cranky eccentric Parsi, rich spoilt brat etc. It is imperative that we set these notions aside and listen actively with proper eye contact and a gestures which convey belief and genuine concern for the patient or the relative who is angry. This cooling minute to three minutes are vital to control the situation. One must wait for the patient to stop however tempted we are to cut short the anger especially when we realise the problem is easily resolvable. A summary or repetition of the issues at hand in the patient's own or similar words are required to ensure that the customer is satisfied in at least  he has been listened too patiently.

Apologize as an instruction often feels a defensive reaction especially if you feel the customers complaint is unjustified in your eyes. Therefore it is imperative to understand where the customers reaction is coming from. This can happen only if you imagine yourself in the same situation as the customer. This is defined as empathy which is the basis of what you say. So the apology initially isn't an admission of guilt or mistake but words to the effect that I understand your feelings and am sorry that we may have been the cause of your pain or distress. Having said that after a patient hearing, the time comes to calmly set about going into specific details and creating an atmosphere conducive to take the next step. 

Solve the problem by clearly addressing the issue, like lack of service, justification of cost, assurance of action against any member of the organization responsible for bad behaviour. Some form of reasonable service recovery is important in the circumstance but one has to be careful to not set a wrong precedent. Often the unpleasant experience of one customer can give rise to a learning for the organization and the staff. This can help improve perceptions and convert a critic to a loyal customer. 

Thank the customer for the interaction and praise him for his constructive feedback. This thank you must be followed up with a communication to demonstrate to the customer the corrective action to address the problem and preventive action to prevent a similar complaint in future. 

In conclusion, I am not saying that BLEAST ( Believe, Lisen, Empathize, Apologize, Solve and Thank) or LAST can solve every customers problem ,but clearly  it is an organized effective way to tackle a difficult situation. 

Vispi Jokhi