What Looked Weird and Scary at First, Turned Out to be a Great Experience
- Post By: Greg Crumpton
- Date:
- Category: Blog
Just two weeks ago I had the misfortune of being diagnosed with kidney 
stones. Who knew that what started out to be unpleasant actually wound up with a nice finish.
It began with the usual back pain, discomfort, etc. So after a couple of sleepless nights and restless days I decided to go to the doctor. The unfortunate part was it was midnight on a Thursday night. My original plan was to wait until the next morning to see my internist. That’s not how my body determined it was going to end up.
Following the emergency surgery to implant a stint, everything started working normally again, albeit temporarily. The next step in the process was to have the kidney stones blasted by a laser, which sounded a lot scarier than it turned out to be.
The morning of the procedure I arrived at the hospital around 6 AM and was greeted by very friendly and courteous front desk attendant. She asked me the normal stuff and then directed me to the outpatient center where I would be having the procedure. Please keep in mind that I am a customer service zealot and am always looking out for great service, while at the same time being guarded against poor service. My initial foray into the world of Mercy Main hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina this early fall morning was going very well.
The nurse who was helping me prior to the procedure could not have been any more kind. At that point it was almost surreal, and I couldn’t determine if it was the pre-op medication that was kicking in or were these people genuinely this nice.
My questions were answered after the anesthesiologist and urologist both came in and spent several quality minutes describing my procedure and making sure that I didn’t have any unaddressed concerns.
On the same note, the aftercare was just as courteous and well intentioned as the pre-op service had been. I was actually excited to tell my wife of the high level care that I had received.
Obviously, this blog post is about much more than my kidney stones. It’s about how customer service can be delivered, and more importantly how it should be delivered, by true professionals dedicated to excellence.
The good people of CMC-Mercy Main Hospital didn’t just show up for work that day, they didn’t just go through the motions, and they certainly didn’t just mail it in. Those people got up early, performed at a very high level, and made my situation a whole lot better because of the care they delivered.
My goal, every day, is to deliver that same type of service and to show people we care to that level. Caring and serving well does not have to be painful. In fact, it should be rewarding for those delivering the care, as well as those receiving the quality care.
It matters; people know quality in action when they receive it.
