In a previous article, I posted a picture of a spectacular rainbow taken from my hotel room in Hawaii. But that was not the view I had when I first arrived for my visit.

I like to sit and think while looking out over the ocean, so when I was making the arrangements, I had specifically requested a room with a waterfront view.

That's why I was quite disappointed to find on arriving that my balcony was not overlooking the water after all.

As I made my way to the front desk to discuss this, I was already anticipating the customer service problems I would encounter. The front desk person would be polite but unhelpful. I would get the "sorry sir, but there is nothing I can do about it," routine. Eventually I would ask to speak to a manager and then maybe something would be done to move me to a better location.

So I was pleasantly surprised when the young man at the front desk listened carefully to my concerns and immediately set to work to correct things. Looking up my reservation, he saw that I was a Gold member who has been a long-time loyal customer of the hotel chain. He began searching for other options and considering what moves he might make to ensure I had a room that satisfied me. Before long, he found one that would be ideal. He apologized again for the inconvenience, gave me my new room key (and a small gift), and I walked away feeling valued and respected.

I don't think this was an accident. Obviously, the management of this hotel has trained their employees to think in the best interests of the client, and to do what it takes (within reason) to address their concerns or accommodate their needs. They have empowered them to be entrepreneurial, and it makes all the difference in the customer experience.

This made me think about how we empower our employees to do the right thing, as opposed to just following guidelines and procedures. For example, if a patient came in looking to get treatment in time for an upcoming wedding and that treatment would take longer than any available opening in your schedule, what would your team do? Would they just say there isn't anything available in the requested timeframe? Or would they find a way to make it happen?

A good team member is good at following the practice's policies and procedures. A great team member understands that those procedures are not just there for the team. These team members understand that everything they do ultimately begins and ends with the patient. Empower your team to always make decisions in the patient's interest and give them the freedom to be great.


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