The Customer Service Diagnosis: A Personal Journey

David C. Mooth, MD
Medical Director
Clay County Hospital
Flora, Illinois

My wife recently gave birth to child #9. She abrupted during labor and required an emergency C-section. In retrospect, as I was digesting what was going on, and grateful that my wife and child are alive and healthy, it dawned on me that we reflected the customer service diagnosis paradigm mentioned in the lead article.

Lynnette began to bleed very briskly, losing about a unit every ten minutes. She was in the hands of competent medical professionals who knew what they were doing and performed wonderfully. At that point, she was horizontal and undergoing induction for general anesthesia. Her life and the life of our son were hanging in the balance. I was relying almost completely upon their expertise to direct care. I had very little input, knowing the situation was critical.

After the emergency was past and Lynnette was recovered from anesthesia, she became more vertical. She expressed to me (without knowing that I was pushing the customer service diagnosis at work) how all the nurses who were caring for her during recovery knew their jobs and did well technically, but that she really appreciated those who paid attention to and anticipated the little things such as keeping her water pitcher full, providing clean linen and asking if she needed more pain medication.

In all, the hospital went to great lengths to assure that our stay was pleasant and that all of our questions were answered. Of course, I am most grateful to have my wife and son home with me alive and well, but I am also grateful for those nurses who gave the extra effort to make my wife's stay pleasant.