The Game Changer Award Goes to… Customer Service

When you think about health tech (and the B2B space more broadly), the first thing you think of is likely not customer service. Nonetheless, the buzzwords of health tech—interoperability, blockchain, AI, and the like—only find their meaning when combined with great implementations grounded in excellent customer service.

Customer Service

When Virsys12 was asked to be a part of the Relationary Marketing podcast at HIMSS ’18, we were asked to share how Virsys12 has been able to achieve such success (like our Partner Innovation Award) with Salesforce. Our focus was on Virsys12’s customer service.

In case you don’t have time to listen to the podcast, we’ve distilled the process that has led to an over 90% user adoption rate among our clients.

1. Listen to the customer—actively listen

Many well-meaning HIT companies will hear their customer’s (or prospect’s) immediate pain points—the things that convinced them now is the time to purchase—but fail to truly listen to the underlying causes and deeper needs behind these problems. Or the consultant will see those deeper issues but begin to prescribe products instead of listening for what the client really wants and needs.

At Virsys12, we believe to provide a solution to stand the test of time, you must engage in the art of active listening. We ask more about the customer’s world than just the now; we want a bigger picture of where they want to go so that we can begin with that end in mind. While we often see additional places the customer can improve, we do our best to know the customer and their business, becoming a trusted advisor rather than doling out unsolicited advice.

2. Collaborate on strategy

Not really listening ignores the true needs of the customer, the same as rushing headlong to address pain points without establishing a long-term strategy leads to temporary fixes and lower customer ROI.

We do understand the desire to bring the customer some immediate results. An implementation strategy must be established encompassing the customer’s needs, appetite for change, budget, timelines, decision-making processes, and internal resources. We gather this information before we map out the path from where the customer is to where they want to be, and create a plan so the customer feels every stage (or phase) of implementation is a win.

3. Set expectations

Successful implementations take work—and this work extends beyond the go-live date. Because we have walked with many clients through the entire process, we know a key to client satisfaction is thoroughness of upfront communication.

We set expectations for the training and support processes from the beginning, and we establish hours specifically to support the client after go-live. If any fine-tuning, troubleshooting, or additional training becomes necessary, neither team feels concerned about the implementation success.

4. Invest in your team

Lastly, a key to serving your customers well is beginning by serving your employees well. It begins with hiring the right people. If you bring on a team member who really isn’t a fit for your company’s core values, he or she won’t be able to excel at your organization, and that is a disservice to the employee, your team, and your clients.

Once your hire, invest. Take the time to actively listen to each member of the team, like you do for your customers. Give them opportunities to express input into their own careers and the future of the company. All these efforts will result in a more committed team, who will consistently exceed the expectations of your clients.

Special thanks to Medhost for ‘hosting’ the podcast and sharing best practices across a variety of healthcare services. It is important to be active learners as well as listeners.

If you’d like to see some real-world examples of where customer service is working well with a customer who has been with us since 2014, check out our case studies.

When you think about health tech (and the B2B space more broadly), the first thing you think of is likely not customer service. Nonetheless, the buzzwords of health tech—interoperability, blockchain, AI, and the like—only find their meaning when combined with great implementations grounded in excellent customer service.

Customer Service

When Virsys12 was asked to be a part of the Relationary Marketing podcast at HIMSS ’18, we were asked to share how Virsys12 has been able to achieve such success (like our Partner Innovation Award) with Salesforce. Our focus was on Virsys12’s customer service.

In case you don’t have time to listen to the podcast, we’ve distilled the process that has led to an over 90% user adoption rate among our clients.

 

1. Listen to the customer—actively listen

Many well-meaning HIT companies will hear their customer’s (or prospect’s) immediate pain points—the things that convinced them now is the time to purchase—but fail to truly listen to the underlying causes and deeper needs behind these problems. Or the consultant will see those deeper issues but begin to prescribe products instead of listening for what the client really wants and needs.

At Virsys12, we believe to provide a solution to stand the test of time, you must engage in the art of active listening. We ask more about the customer’s world than just the now; we want a bigger picture of where they want to go so that we can begin with that end in mind. While we often see additional places the customer can improve, we do our best to know the customer and their business, becoming a trusted advisor rather than doling out unsolicited advice.

2. Collaborate on strategy

Not really listening ignores the true needs of the customer, the same as rushing headlong to address pain points without establishing a long-term strategy leads to temporary fixes and lower customer ROI.

We do understand the desire to bring the customer some immediate results. An implementation strategy must be established encompassing the customer’s needs, appetite for change, budget, timelines, decision-making processes, and internal resources. We gather this information before we map out the path from where the customer is to where they want to be, and create a plan so the customer feels every stage (or phase) of implementation is a win.

3. Set expectations

Successful implementations take work—and this work extends beyond the go-live date. Because we have walked with many clients through the entire process, we know a key to client satisfaction is thoroughness of upfront communication.

We set expectations for the training and support processes from the beginning, and we establish hours specifically to support the client after go-live. If any fine-tuning, troubleshooting, or additional training becomes necessary, neither team feels concerned about the implementation success.

4. Invest in your team

Lastly, a key to serving your customers well is beginning by serving your employees well. It begins with hiring the right people. If you bring on a team member who really isn’t a fit for your company’s core values, he or she won’t be able to excel at your organization, and that is a disservice to the employee, your team, and your clients.

Once your hire, invest. Take the time to actively listen to each member of the team, like you do for your customers. Give them opportunities to express input into their own careers and the future of the company. All these efforts will result in a more committed team, who will consistently exceed the expectations of your clients.

Special thanks to Medhost for ‘hosting’ the podcast and sharing best practices across a variety of healthcare services. It is important to be active learners as well as listeners.

If you’d like to see some real-world examples of where customer service is working well with a customer who has been with us since 2014, check out our case studies.

About the Author

About the Author

Tammy Hawes is CEO and Founder of Virsys12, a Healthcare Focused Salesforce AppExchange and Consulting Partner. Hawes launched Virsys12 in 2011, with a track record of more than 25 years of executive success.

About the Author