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Tip: Assess customer service skills

Patient Access Weekly Advisor, March 26, 2008

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The burden to train representatives falls on the access manager. When representatives fail to meet expectations, the access manager must take the time to revisit training.

But can good customer service skills be taught, or are some people naturally inclined to communicate effectively with others?

Although the debate about whether these skills are learned or innate continues, there is no debate about the importance of patient access representatives possessing customer service skills.

"The biggest thing we look for is good customer service," said Jo Ann Tomes, manager of admitting at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "When I interview somebody, I'll look for somebody who has a strong handshake and is up and bubbly. People are nervous when they go through an interview. You can tell if people are good with other people. You can teach people anything, but it's difficult to teach them to be nice. I don't care how much customer service you have; it's difficult to teach customer service."

Once candidates are invited to come for an interview, Tomes says she looks at everything from their extracurricular activities to what they do with family and friends.

"A lot of times, we have students as applicants," says Tomes. "We get college students, and we watch to see how outgoing they appear. If they answer me with one word, I have a concern with their ability to interact."

Cincinnati's training process begins with a hospital orientation and three days in the admitting department to talk about registration. Trainers from the billing side and registration help.

Next, new representatives go to a training center for four days, where they set up their computers and get used to the system. "That's the best part-they can actually [use computers and learn the system]," says Tomes.

Editor's note: This is an excerpt from an article that is part of the Patient Access Advisor's ongoing series, A-Plus Access, which focuses on enhancing professionalism among access staff members. To view the article, click here.

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