“Mobile order for Craig,” called the Starbucks barista.
As I hadn’t heard this before (and I spend a lot of time in Starbucks, meeting Kate there once a week) my ears perked up and I raised my eyes from the computer. The drink sat there on the bar with a receipt slip under it, but nobody stirred to collect it. A minute or two later, in walks a guy who says not a word to anyone, heads not to the line but to the bar, looks at the drink, checks the slip, grabs it and walks out the door.
“Holy cow,” I thought, “that was cool.”
As I thought about it, I realized this was the next step in a progression that Starbucks and others have started some time ago. First off, they issued customer loyalty apps which could be used for payment and to receive rewards (such as free drinks), and once you’ve got the financial transaction set up, it’s only a short (but very significant) hop to placing the order on your smartphone before you get to the store and having your drink waiting for you. And as any Starbucks fan knows, the biggest problem can be the line, especially when you’re in a rush to get to work.
I think the most fascinating part of the experience was that the customer never had to interact face to face with a Starbucks employee at any point in the process of ordering, paying for, and receiving his drink. And my next thought was that this will have implications — as remote ordering grows and grows — for both Starbucks staffing and the types of people they hire. For example, no longer will all baristas need to be cheery, as one might be totally dedicated to handling the remote orders and nary have to look a customer in the eye.
And it isn’t just Starbucks that has gotten into the business of cutting out the personal touch (which nobody really wants anyway — think banking). A few days after my Starbucks experience, I got an email from my gym notifying members that those sitting poolside no longer had to trek to the outdoor café to grab their lunch (and that line really stinks). Now, you could order right from your lounge chair and have your salad and smoothie delivered without missing a ray of sunshine.
Oh, and as if everyone suddenly got a “go-remote” memo at once, the next day I saw this sign at one of my favorite burrito places. I guess everyone realizes their customers get no pleasure from waiting on lines. What do customers want? The product, the result — so why not have it ready, or deliver it straight to them?
The world, as we know, is going remote and mobile, and it’s going there fast. And here is the best part — you don’t have to come up with all the ideas on your own. All you have to do, as I did last week, is be observant. Just reflect on the conveniences your service providers are showering on you and consider which ones are applicable to the healthcare setting. And if you quickly, and continually, keep coming up with a “that just doesn’t translate into healthcare” response, think again. Talk to your team, see what they have experienced and might suggest and please, please, please, talk to your customers — your patients.
Of course, not everyone will want to give you feedback, but you don’t need to hear from everyone to get a great idea. You only need a few who are willing to tell you what they think and, if you source feedback systematically and consistently, I guarantee you’ll hit the jackpot. One day, you’ll see a suggestion and respond with the two qualifications that matter most — “That’s a great idea AND we can operationalize it.”
“But not all our patients are tech savvy — many have never heard of Uber.”
That’s not a problem and that’s not the issue. The issue is to Uber-ize your operation for those who are mobile savvy, who’ve come to expect remote efficiencies from all their service providers. Why? Because this is the population that’s growing, because they are the future, and because you’re supposed to be skating to the puck.
Though almost all agree healthcare is behind when it comes to these things, as I mentioned above, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, for when one is behind one gets to see, to watch and to learn from others’ mistakes and successes. So imitate what works, because in addition to being the sincerest form of flattery, it’s the best way to catch up.
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