"Thank You," "Thanks," "I appreciate your service," "Great job," "Ata
Boy/Girl," "Excellent job" and "I’m glad for your time" are all words that are not
said often enough. Watching the Super
Bowl on Sunday and working at the VA Hospital, I noticed that in the United States
we are taught (and to a point indoctrinated) to respect the women and men that
are in our Armed Forces and to provide congratulatory words of praise for their service to the country that we
all live in. When these words are said
to the Veterans at the hospital, I notice a change immediately in their morale
as they unexpectedly are placed in a position where they are now being thanked
for their service by their service provider.
They tend to stand up straighter, become a little bit more serious, and
take on a position as a representative of the Armed Forces, rather than patient
John Doe there for their knee problems.
This instantaneous moment of pride, humility and self-congratulation, shows that it is not only worthy of our time to show our appreciation, but we can also provide
someone who could have been having a bad or mediocre day the push need to
return their focus on the great things they have accomplished to get to that
moment. So why do we not say thanks to
those people who have provided some benefit in our lives more often?
Just Doing My Job
We all have jobs where we are required to deal with a
certain amount of financial awareness of our employers needs -- the reason we were hired. At times we may lose sight of this, but
management is usually there to remind us of why we were hired, but in some
industries this is conveyed in a circumvented way. Coined sayings such as, “for patient care,”
or “to reduce healthcare costs,” are some of the think tank terms used to say
"because I want you to do this," or "we won’t get reimbursed if you do that." This narrow-minded view is no different than a company looking to make profit on a quarterly basis versus a yearly basis. As managers are pushed towards making short
term gains, the long term picture is lost leading to disappointing year-end reports and financial statements. Though told by management that customer
service is important, even the most dimwitted of us knows that this is not what
they truly want. So in the end, no
matter what industry you are working in, you may feel like you are just doing
your job (Dr. Walks 6 Miles in Snow Storm to Perform Surgery).
So how can this cycle of lost guidance be changed and
refocused on what is the most vital thing for any company, satisfied
customers? From my experience being
bilingual has changed my perspective on medicine tremendously. My English speaking patients
when I work in a community or private hospital, go online or get advice from a friend and come to the office
with preconceived notions. They tell me their symptoms, and in some cases try and lead me down a path to the
diagnosis and medication that they believe is best for them. Should I go down a path of questioning that
is not to their liking, they will try to guide me back to their line of
thinking and in some cases they will get frustrated should I not provide them
the drug or test they sought. My Spanish
speaking patients on the other hand, will tell me their problems and issues and
will ask for my guidance. In the end
they will thank me for my service and share a quick smile before going on
their way. As a side note, my biggest concern with the
patient population here in Texas is they are constantly worried about when
they can return to work and they will try and guide me down a path to get me to provide
unmedically sound advice to return to work.
In the end, patient encounters are always welcoming when you feel not only
that you helped someone by educating them about their ailment, but also
that they appreciated you taking your time to make sure you did your best to get the
right answer. In those moments the idea
of good customer service, profit margins and earnings do not matter as
humility, pride and a feeling of self-worth fills any void that day had
created.
The Challenge
So we should ask, how can we make sure that we as a nation,
society or world community have better lives and days? Well there are a few words you can say to
those close to you, or those who provide various services to you. There are teachers, doctors, lawyers,
technicians, bankers, nurses, paralegals, servers and janitors who go into work
and are harbored with the idea that making more money will bring happiness or
maybe provide for a more fruitful life, but sometimes the best connections are
offline. Instead of clicking the
Like button on Facebook, why not tell someone in person, “That makes a lot of
sense, I never thought of it that way,” or “Thanks for teaching me about this issue. I understand it a little bit better now.” This builds trust, and makes those who are
providing the service more eager to maintain that trust and provide you with
great service. Since I was young I have
befriended the workers to bosses and treated each one the same and thanked them
in the same manner. The janitors in my
grade school, the field worker of my college baseball stadium, the service people
at my apartment during medical school and now those who work in the VA and my
private hospital. They are told "Thank You," "Thanks," "Great Job," "Thanks for letting me
know," and even "Good morning, how are you doing today?"
Bill Clinton is famous for making a person feeling as if
they were the only person in the room.
Whether it is true or not, he has received thanks and jeers alike, but
in the end people always walk away with a smile.
None of us are a number; none of us are a simple service provider. So go out of your way every day and try and
say "Thank You" to someone who didn’t expect it and eventually maybe everyone
will understand why it can be better to give than it is to receive.
Till Then.
