The Aged Care industry in Australia is rarely without scandal and scrutiny in the media, with only the worst of the worst ever getting airplay, creating a perception of mismanagement and negligence from “profit-hungry” for-profit service providers throughout the entire industry.
Such is not the case for all though, with some Aged Care providers caring for clients with care and empathy. Experience is everything when servicing the community and ensuring quality and consistency of experience across your entire business can be a challenge to control. The repercussions of not getting this right can be as devastating for your clients as it is for your business. Here are our tips for increasing service levels throughout the business without increasing your expenses:
Develop a company-wide customer service culture
Embedding a customer service mindset in every facet of your business is key to ensuring consistency and quality of service. From the messaging incorporated in your new employee inductions, through to regular reinforcement, refreshers and skills training, will ensure that everyone in the business understands who their customer is (whether it is someone internally, or an external client), and how what they do impacts them. Encouraging a culture of care, empathy, compassion, availability, health and happiness in your business will reflect externally about your business.
Form personal connections
Encourage everyone in the business to form personal connections with their clients, co-workers and suppliers. Understanding someone on a personal level can help increase service levels, while also reducing potential conflict if it arises.
Streamline reporting systems
Taking the time to review and improve reporting systems can help to reduce the time your staff spends working on administration, allowing them to spend more time caring for their clients. Implementation of dedicated software systems can help reduce manual entry time, while also ensuring data is stored accurately and shared securely throughout the business to the departments who need to access and reconcile it for compliance.
Convey empathy and patience
Accessing care for an elderly loved one can be a confronting venture for both the person and their family. Make sure all members of your business convey empathy and patience, and allow them the time necessary to explain options, and help inform their choices and keep them informed of progress and status is essential for a happy and comforted client experience. Provide soft skills training in this area on a regular basis – don’t take for granted that this is something that comes naturally to everyone.
If you’d like any assistance on finding a software solution to help streamline your reporting and administration systems, please contact us at info@caretag.com.au.
