customer satisfaction and service marketing

Customer Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction and Service Marketingand Service Marketing

Preethi PradhanPreethi Pradhan

[email protected]@aravind.org

Who are the customers in a Who are the customers in a hospital?hospital?

Patients Patients Family membersFamily membersReferral DoctorsReferral DoctorsSuppliersSuppliersEmployeesEmployees

Who is the key customer in the Who is the key customer in the hospital?hospital?

What is patient satisfaction?What is patient satisfaction? Patient Satisfaction is Patient Satisfaction is “hospital services

and its perception by the patient” minus minus ”patient expectations”

0 = Patient Satisfied- = Patient Dissatisfied+ = Patient Delighted

Patient satisfaction measures need to be Patient satisfaction measures need to be developed from the patients perspectivedeveloped from the patients perspective

Patients are becoming better informedPatients are becoming better informed Involve patients for making improvementsInvolve patients for making improvements Patient satisfaction is not Patient satisfaction is not Static but but

Dynamic

Patient ExpectationsPatient Expectations Good Medical CareGood Medical Care Good Nursing CareGood Nursing Care Less Waiting TimeLess Waiting Time Excellent Excellent

HospitalityHospitality Personal AttentionPersonal Attention Courteous Courteous

BehaviorBehavior Affordable Affordable

ChargesCharges

CleanlinessCleanliness Good Coordination Good Coordination Cooperation Cooperation

among the Staffamong the Staff DisciplineDiscipline Communication & Communication &

InformationInformation Transparency in Transparency in

charges and charges and proceduresprocedures

Why customer satisfaction?Why customer satisfaction?

Health care is generally becoming Health care is generally becoming competitivecompetitive

Providers must not only maintain Providers must not only maintain high clinical standards but also high clinical standards but also service that satisfies the patientsservice that satisfies the patients

To meet the dual challenge, To meet the dual challenge, providers must have an providers must have an understanding of what constitutes understanding of what constitutes both clinical excellence and both clinical excellence and customer satisfactioncustomer satisfaction

What is Service Marketing?What is Service Marketing?

Examples:Examples: Defense, Postal, Education, Defense, Postal, Education, health, Religious Services, Hospitals, health, Religious Services, Hospitals, Airlines, Hotels, Law Firms, Entertainment, Airlines, Hotels, Law Firms, Entertainment, etc etc

Definition:Definition: Activity or benefit that one Activity or benefit that one party can offer to another that is party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Its in the ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied to a production may or may not be tied to a physical product physical product

Eye Care-Why do we need to do Eye Care-Why do we need to do service marketing?service marketing?

PerspectivePerspective

Public Health Public Health Programme PerspectiveProgramme Perspective SustainabilitySustainability

Public Health Perspective:Public Health Perspective:

Increasing backlog of Blindness Increasing backlog of Blindness Low levels of eye care services – e.g. Low levels of eye care services – e.g.

CSR in the Region varies from 500 to CSR in the Region varies from 500 to 3,500 3,500

Crucial to reduce the blindness rate Crucial to reduce the blindness rate HighHigh geographic & gender disparities geographic & gender disparities

both in the coverage of service as well both in the coverage of service as well as in the quality of eye care. as in the quality of eye care.

Demographic transition issuesDemographic transition issues Commitment to VISION 2020-The Commitment to VISION 2020-The

Global InitiativeGlobal Initiative

Programme PerspectiveProgramme Perspective Rising costs of equipments & other Rising costs of equipments & other

resourcesresources Need to have economies of scale (lower Need to have economies of scale (lower

fixed costs) to sustainfixed costs) to sustain Increase resource utilization due to Increase resource utilization due to

scarcityscarcity Availability and Affordability of eye Availability and Affordability of eye

servicesservices Make eye care programme effective and Make eye care programme effective and

efficientefficient New services coming to the forefront New services coming to the forefront

Sustainability PerspectiveSustainability Perspective Increasing patient awareness and technology Increasing patient awareness and technology

acceptanceacceptance Government as well as the voluntary sector is Government as well as the voluntary sector is

under increasing pressure to meet costs. under increasing pressure to meet costs. International NGO’s support for operating International NGO’s support for operating

expenses have lowered.expenses have lowered. Developing a differential price mechanism and Developing a differential price mechanism and

other strategies to become self-sufficient other strategies to become self-sufficient through user fees and attracting paying through user fees and attracting paying patients. patients.

Private practitioners have also recognised that Private practitioners have also recognised that goodwill of the community increases their goodwill of the community increases their clientele.clientele.

Services Services Unique characteristic - 1Unique characteristic - 1

INTANGIBILITY INTANGIBILITY

Customer is unable to Customer is unable to experience the‘product’ prior experience the‘product’ prior

to ‘purchase’to ‘purchase’


PERISHABILITYPERISHABILITY

Can’t be stored Can’t be stored


INSEPERABILITY INSEPERABILITY

Production & consumption Production & consumption

happen at the same place and happen at the same place and cannot be separatedcannot be separated


VARIABILITYVARIABILITY

Difficulty in establishing Difficulty in establishing consistency in qualityconsistency in quality• across Providers or within providersacross Providers or within providers• across Timeacross Time• across Delivery Centersacross Delivery Centers

Challenges in Service MarketingChallenges in Service Marketing

Giving a feel for the “product”Giving a feel for the “product” Managing Demand FluctuationsManaging Demand Fluctuations Maintaining QualityMaintaining Quality Cost ContainmentCost Containment Attitudinal block in using proven Attitudinal block in using proven

marketing principles in service marketing principles in service marketingmarketing

Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand- Availability Perspective- Availability Perspective

Services are available for longer or Services are available for longer or convenient hoursconvenient hours

Patients are provided information Patients are provided information through Brochures, Publicity, etc on through Brochures, Publicity, etc on services availableservices available

Services are reliable and offered Services are reliable and offered promptlypromptly

Required equipment are availableRequired equipment are available Patient friendly Systems & Patient friendly Systems &

ProceduresProcedures

Factors that promote Demand Factors that promote Demand

- Accessibility Perspective- Accessibility Perspective

Good public transportationGood public transportation Centrally locatedCentrally located Outreach Programs to reach out Outreach Programs to reach out

to the Rural Peopleto the Rural People


- Affordability Perspective- Affordability Perspective Standard pricing structureStandard pricing structure Charges affordable by most of Charges affordable by most of

the people in the Communitythe people in the Community Transparency in Patient Fees – Transparency in Patient Fees –

no hidden chargesno hidden charges Simple procedure for getting Simple procedure for getting

free/subsidized carefree/subsidized care

Factors that increase Demand Factors that increase Demand

- Promotion Avenues- Promotion Avenues Structured approach with designated Structured approach with designated

staff staff Good Rapport with CommunityGood Rapport with Community Publicity through different mediaPublicity through different media Promotion at Outreach activitiesPromotion at Outreach activities Meetings/seminars for other doctorsMeetings/seminars for other doctors Developing a referral networkDeveloping a referral network Promotion through satisfied patients Promotion through satisfied patients Industrial tie-up for routine examination Industrial tie-up for routine examination

of their employeesof their employees

Factors that affect Demand Factors that affect Demand - Attitude Perspective- Attitude Perspective

Reasons for Low Demand:Reasons for Low Demand: Sophisticated technology will automatically Sophisticated technology will automatically

trigger demandtrigger demand Belief that patients, if need eye care, will Belief that patients, if need eye care, will

definitely come to usdefinitely come to us Providing Service as per Providers’ Providing Service as per Providers’

ConvenienceConvenience Systems & Procedures are not patient friendlySystems & Procedures are not patient friendly Gap between Patients’ Expectations & Gap between Patients’ Expectations &

Providers’ PerceptionProviders’ Perception Lack of patient orientation Lack of patient orientation


- Quality Perspective- Quality Perspective Skilled Doctor & other staffSkilled Doctor & other staff Standard Clinical ProtocolStandard Clinical Protocol Good Administrative System & Good Administrative System &

ProceduresProcedures Courtesy & PolitenessCourtesy & Politeness Proper ExplanationProper Explanation Clean environment and comforts Clean environment and comforts

meeting or exceeding expectationsmeeting or exceeding expectations Systems to monitor clinical outcomes & Systems to monitor clinical outcomes &

Patient satisfactionPatient satisfaction


- to the Rural areas & the poor- to the Rural areas & the poorReasons for Low Reasons for Low

Demand:Demand: No one to EscortNo one to Escort Fear of SurgeryFear of Surgery IgnoranceIgnorance No desire for No desire for

surgerysurgery No time for SurgeryNo time for Surgery No money for No money for

surgerysurgery

Promoting Demand:Promoting Demand: Counseling to build Counseling to build

confidence that confidence that Staff will take careStaff will take care

Health education Health education Explain benefits Explain benefits Free Free

Transport/FoodTransport/Food Free/subsidized Free/subsidized

SurgerySurgery