Healthcare: Attracting Customers With the Omnichannel

Customer expectations for service and communication with brands has changed dramatically in the USA over the past few years and this applies to healthcare just as much as other industries, such as retail. Healthcare providers and payers alike are now forced to compete in the individual market for customers. This change impacts how new customers are located and won, but also how non-medical customer service is delivered.

Far from being a niche interest, I believe that this question of how healthcare organizations use the omnichannel is a key executive priority. The individual market is all about the overall customer experience. The customer journey, which is really the sum total of all interactions with the brand, plays an ever-increasing role in attracting and retaining customers.

Customer service has long been considered a cost of doing business by many organizations, but by focusing on the complete experience this can actually be the complete opposite. Creating a great customer experience becomes a competitive differentiator that inspires greater loyalty in existing customers and attracts potential customers – this is a strategy that increases revenue. Healthcare organizations need to pay attention to the trend around consumer expectations regarding the customer experience if they want to remain relevant in a modern healthcare economy.

All generations expect to be able to communicate with brands using the channel that they choose. Many commentators talk of Generation Y or The Millennials leading a push towards modern communication channels such as social networks, but what is often not mentioned is that these younger (generally those born after 1980) consumers are now that majority of the American workforce. Meeting the expectations of younger consumers is not just about keeping up with technology trends; it really is just what many of them expect.

But offering a dozen ways to get in touch is not enough if there is no unity. A customer who cannot get help after emailing, tweeting, and calling is probably three times as unhappy as one who would have just called if that was their only choice. The channels need to be connected using an omnichannel approach so however the customer wants to communicate they get the same great and consistent experience.

Combined with additional channels is the expectation that companies can personalize their service, to start treating people as people, not account numbers. If a customer calls from their registered cell number then there is a good chance it is the customer. Why not answer with a greeting, rather than just saying “hello, account number please?” Obviously some security checks will be needed to verify the customer, but the initial approach is important and this can apply equally to other forms of contact, such as social networks or email.

Customers are getting increasingly impatient with healthcare organizations that do not respect their time. It’s not acceptable to make people wait hours for service as they suffer tinned muzak. Metrics around average wait time and handle time are going to increase in importance, however there is a difference in how different channels are managed. For example, a customer may ask a question using Twitter and be happy to wait an hour or two for a response because during that time they can get on with life – they are not waiting on hold for an answer – so metrics need to be planned carefully.

How you offer services to different demographic groups still matters, but needs to be joined up as I mentioned. Consistency is the key. Those between ages 18 and 34 are the most likely to be interested in telehealth (74 percent), compared to 70 percent of individuals between 35 and 44, 64 percent of individuals between 45 and 64 and 41 percent of individuals age 65 and above, according to a Harris Poll survey.

A joint survey from Salesforce and Harris Poll found that 71 percent of Millennial patients would like to have their providers use mobile apps to book appointments, share health data and manage preventive care. This trend will only grow as millennials get older and as the general population increasingly takes advantage of the power of technology. It’s worth reemphasizing that Millennials are not just of future importance, that are already the majority of the American workforce so these indications need to be taken seriously now.

A Salesforce-Harris Poll also showed 60 percent of millennials support the use of telehealth options to eliminate in-person visits. Half of millennials and Gen-Xers use online reviews to select care providers compared to 40 percent of baby boomers and 28 percent of seniors, according to a consumer survey from PNC Healthcare. Additionally, 50 percent of millennials and 52 percent of Gen-Xers compare insurance options online, compared to 25 percent of seniors, who prefer print materials (48 percent) and in-person consultations (38 percent) to select insurance plans, according to the PNC Healthcare survey.

The message to healthcare organizations is clear. Millennials are expecting to see the great service they receive from retailers replicated by the healthcare industry. Healthcare companies that ignore this expectation will find their increasingly dissatisfied customers – particularly the Millennial demographic – moving elsewhere to companies that respect them and their time.