“Two please,” I said to the girl operating the merry-go-round as I handed her a $20 bill.
“Tokens only,” she said, pointing to a massive vending machine that looked more suited to dispense kegs than tokens.
I moved out of line and over to the machine, attempting to figure out the necessary transaction before all the horses were taken and we’d have to wait for the next go-round. $2 for a token and I’d need two tokens, so a $5 bill would be perfect, but I didn’t have a $5 bill and — seeing that the machine only dispensed change back — I was loathe to rattle around the mall with a pocket full ’o quarters. Of course, it didn’t take credit cards (I suspect it was invented before them).
I attempted to get the young lady’s attention as she continued to accept tokens from, apparently, those more experienced with this particular ride.
“Do you have change for a $20?” I asked. “I really need a $5.”
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t have any cash. They don’t want us (attendants) to handle cash; that’s why they have the machine.”
“Right,” I said, getting the point, though feeling none-too-comforted by it.
So I looked at the girl and over at the machine and down at the kids. I thought of dealing with all that change for a quick 2-minute ride and I made a decision.
“Let’s go to the food court instead,” I said.
This, of course, was met with boos and hisses and other such things indicative of displeasure.
“We’ll get donuts,” I offered.
“YEAY!!!” they roared back.
And so transferred our spending from the merry go round that was anything but, to the donut store with its ability to accept cash, credit cards and its mobile app. They make buying easy.
And that should be the goal of every seller of goods and/or services, and every provider of healthcare — to make doing what we want customers or patients to do (buy, sell, take better care of themselves) easy. But, as per the above, we must continually rethink our definition of easy with them in mind. This, of course, is why just about every company out there has user groups, focus groups, or some other means of attaining customer feedback.
“This is what we think you want, but we’re asking you to make sure,” goes the thinking. One can only imagine how many times organizations with those conduits to their customers have been disabused of misguided assumptions.
And so, when you desire a behavior or action, do two things: engage with your customers/patients, and then make the action you desire both easy and profitable (think of getting the payment system realigned to reward accountable care).
Sometimes, of course, there are deliverables you simply can’t get around — things you need from your customer to produce the service they desire — but it is likely you can make even those easier to provide. Almost every CIO in the country is grappling with the patient engagement problem. You need these folks, your patients, to take more control of their care and, as a result of Meaningful Use, you need them to do some very specific things with your portal. Have you looked at the process you wish them to engage in from their point of view? Have you taken upon your organization the fulfillment of every single aspect of that process you possibly can? Have you provided them with financial incentives to do what it is you want them to do?
If you think you have, but you are not getting the results you want, think again. Go over the process as a patient and see exactly how it feels to do what you are asking of them. Are you annoyed? Is part of the process confusing? Have you had to deliver or explain the same information more than once? Are parts of the login process absurd?
If you want something to happen badly enough, and you have control of both what is offered and how it is priced, you can tweak the dials to start the wheels turning. But you have to start thinking on all levels, and you have to rethink and rethink and rethink until you see that movement. And take heart — the tweaking to get you from here to there might come down to something as simple as exercising common sense — just like accepting cash for a ride.
Share Your Thoughts
You must be logged in to post a comment.