How To Create the Experiences Your Customers Expect and Want

June 5, 2019

Piedmont Healthcare Logo with marginIn our new Ask the Expert column by Jared Johnson, Matt Gove, chief consumer officer at Piedmont Healthcare and eHealthcare Strategy and Trends editorial advisory board member, shares his perspectives on how healthcare marketing teams can create the experiences consumers expect. Here’s an excerpt:

eHST: In general, where should healthcare marketers be focused today, and how is it different than two to three years ago?

MG: Marketing’s number-one job is driving revenue, period. You cannot drive revenue in your organization if you don’t (1) understand how customers interact with your company and where choices are made, and (2) who those customers are and how they make decisions. Health systems are often very complicated, but our job doesn’t have to be. Know your business and know your customer.

eHST: How do you describe Customer Experience Management (CEM)?

MG: CEM is designing experiences that satisfy and/or delight your customers, and in the process, you generate loyalty and advocacy. Health systems are generally awful at this, especially in the place where we are most vulnerable — low-acuity care. This is also a place where technology can most enrich the experience. Online scheduling, text-based visits, mobile wayfinding, chatbots, and customer surveys are all basic areas that health systems need to invest more in.

eHST: Where are hospitals and health systems finding success with Customer Experience Management, and where are they missing the mark?

MG: I think we’re still quite terrible at the basics of experience management — using technology to support confirmation of appointments, reminders, guidance through the experience, and surveys at the end. It has always helped me to think of this more like retail — think of all the digital touchpoints you have just buying a pair of pants online. Now think about how your system handles the same level of transaction. Embarrassing.

Read more: Succeeding with Customer Experience Management

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President

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