1. Customer SatisfactionCustomer Satisfaction
and Service Marketingand Service Marketing
Preethi PradhanPreethi Pradhan
preethi@aravind.orgpreethi@aravind.org

2. Who are the customers in aWho are the customers in a
hospital?hospital?
PatientsPatients
Family membersFamily members
Referral DoctorsReferral Doctors
SuppliersSuppliers
EmployeesEmployees
Who is the key customer in theWho is the key customer in the
hospital?hospital?

3. What is patient satisfaction?What is patient satisfaction?
 Patient Satisfaction isPatient Satisfaction is “hospital
services and its perception by the
patient” minusminus ”patient expectations”
0 = Patient Satisfied
- = Patient Dissatisfied
+ = Patient Delighted
 Patient satisfaction measures need toPatient satisfaction measures need to
be developed from the patientsbe developed from the patients
perspectiveperspective
 Patients are becoming better informedPatients are becoming better informed
 Involve patients for makingInvolve patients for making
improvementsimprovements
 Patient satisfaction is notPatient satisfaction is not Static butbut
Dynamic

4. Patient ExpectationsPatient Expectations
 Good Medical CareGood Medical Care
 Good Nursing CareGood Nursing Care
 Less Waiting TimeLess Waiting Time
 ExcellentExcellent
HospitalityHospitality
 Personal AttentionPersonal Attention
 CourteousCourteous
BehaviorBehavior
 AffordableAffordable
ChargesCharges
 CleanlinessCleanliness
 Good CoordinationGood Coordination
 CooperationCooperation
among the Staffamong the Staff
 DisciplineDiscipline
 Communication &Communication &
InformationInformation
 Transparency inTransparency in
charges andcharges and
proceduresprocedures

5. Why customer satisfaction?Why customer satisfaction?
 Health care is generally becomingHealth care is generally becoming
competitivecompetitive
 Providers must not only maintainProviders must not only maintain
high clinical standards but alsohigh clinical standards but also
service that satisfies the patientsservice that satisfies the patients
 To meet the dual challenge,To meet the dual challenge,
providers must have anproviders must have an
understanding of what constitutesunderstanding of what constitutes
both clinical excellence andboth clinical excellence and
customer satisfactioncustomer satisfaction

6. What is Service Marketing?What is Service Marketing?
 Examples:Examples: Defense, Postal, Education,Defense, Postal, Education,
health, Religious Services, Hospitals,health, Religious Services, Hospitals,
Airlines, Hotels, Law Firms, Entertainment,Airlines, Hotels, Law Firms, Entertainment,
etcetc
 Definition:Definition: Activity or benefit that oneActivity or benefit that one
party can offer to another that isparty can offer to another that is
essentially intangible and does not resultessentially intangible and does not result
in the ownership of anything. Itsin the ownership of anything. Its
production may or may not be tied to aproduction may or may not be tied to a
physical productphysical product

7. Eye Care-Why do we need to doEye Care-Why do we need to do
service marketing?service marketing?
PerspectivePerspective
 Public HealthPublic Health
 Programme PerspectiveProgramme Perspective
 SustainabilitySustainability

8. Public Health Perspective:Public Health Perspective:
 Increasing backlog of BlindnessIncreasing backlog of Blindness
 Low levels of eye care services – e.g.Low levels of eye care services – e.g.
CSR in the Region varies from 500 toCSR in the Region varies from 500 to
3,5003,500
 Crucial to reduce the blindness rateCrucial to reduce the blindness rate
 HighHigh geographic & gender disparitiesgeographic & gender disparities
both in the coverage of service as wellboth in the coverage of service as well
as in the quality of eye care.as in the quality of eye care.
 Demographic transition issuesDemographic transition issues
 Commitment to VISION 2020-TheCommitment to VISION 2020-The
Global InitiativeGlobal Initiative

9. Programme PerspectiveProgramme Perspective
 Rising costs of equipments & otherRising costs of equipments & other
resourcesresources
 Need to have economies of scaleNeed to have economies of scale
(lower fixed costs) to sustain(lower fixed costs) to sustain
 Increase resource utilization due toIncrease resource utilization due to
scarcityscarcity
 Availability and Affordability of eyeAvailability and Affordability of eye
servicesservices
 Make eye care programme effectiveMake eye care programme effective
and efficientand efficient
 New services coming to the forefrontNew services coming to the forefront

10. Sustainability PerspectiveSustainability Perspective
 Increasing patient awareness andIncreasing patient awareness and
technology acceptancetechnology acceptance
 Government as well as the voluntaryGovernment as well as the voluntary
sector is under increasing pressure tosector is under increasing pressure to
meet costs.meet costs.
 International NGO’s support forInternational NGO’s support for
operating expenses have lowered.operating expenses have lowered.
 Developing a differential priceDeveloping a differential price
mechanism and other strategies tomechanism and other strategies to
become self-sufficient through user feesbecome self-sufficient through user fees
and attracting paying patients.and attracting paying patients.
 Private practitioners have alsoPrivate practitioners have also
recognised that goodwill of therecognised that goodwill of the
community increases their clientele.community increases their clientele.

11. ServicesServices
Unique characteristic - 1Unique characteristic - 1
INTANGIBILITYINTANGIBILITY
Customer is unable toCustomer is unable to
experience the‘product’ priorexperience the‘product’ prior
to ‘purchase’to ‘purchase’

12. ServicesServices
Unique characteristic - 2Unique characteristic - 2
PERISHABILITYPERISHABILITY
Can’t be storedCan’t be stored

13. ServicesServices
Unique characteristic - 3Unique characteristic - 3
INSEPERABILITYINSEPERABILITY
Production & consumptionProduction & consumption
happen at the same place andhappen at the same place and
cannot be separatedcannot be separated

14. ServicesServices
Unique characteristic - 4Unique characteristic - 4
VARIABILITYVARIABILITY
 Difficulty in establishingDifficulty in establishing
consistency in qualityconsistency in quality
• across Providers or within providersacross Providers or within providers
• across Timeacross Time
• across Delivery Centersacross Delivery Centers

15. Challenges in Service MarketingChallenges in Service Marketing
 Giving a feel for the “product”Giving a feel for the “product”
 Managing Demand FluctuationsManaging Demand Fluctuations
 Maintaining QualityMaintaining Quality
 Cost ContainmentCost Containment
 Attitudinal block in using provenAttitudinal block in using proven
marketing principles in servicemarketing principles in service
marketingmarketing

16. Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand
- Availability Perspective- Availability Perspective
 Services are available for longer orServices are available for longer or
convenient hoursconvenient hours
 Patients are provided informationPatients are provided information
through Brochures, Publicity, etc onthrough Brochures, Publicity, etc on
services availableservices available
 Services are reliable and offeredServices are reliable and offered
promptlypromptly
 Required equipment are availableRequired equipment are available
 Patient friendly Systems & ProceduresPatient friendly Systems & Procedures

17. Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand
- Accessibility Perspective- Accessibility Perspective
 Good public transportationGood public transportation
 Centrally locatedCentrally located
 Outreach Programs to reach outOutreach Programs to reach out
to the Rural Peopleto the Rural People

18. Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand
- Affordability Perspective- Affordability Perspective
 Standard pricing structureStandard pricing structure
 Charges affordable by most ofCharges affordable by most of
the people in the Communitythe people in the Community
 Transparency in Patient Fees –Transparency in Patient Fees –
no hidden chargesno hidden charges
 Simple procedure for gettingSimple procedure for getting
free/subsidized carefree/subsidized care

19. Factors that increase DemandFactors that increase Demand
- Promotion Avenues- Promotion Avenues Structured approach with designatedStructured approach with designated
staffstaff
 Good Rapport with CommunityGood Rapport with Community
 Publicity through different mediaPublicity through different media
 Promotion at Outreach activitiesPromotion at Outreach activities
 Meetings/seminars for other doctorsMeetings/seminars for other doctors
 Developing a referral networkDeveloping a referral network
 Promotion through satisfied patientsPromotion through satisfied patients
 Industrial tie-up for routineIndustrial tie-up for routine
examination of their employeesexamination of their employees

20. Factors that affect DemandFactors that affect Demand
- Attitude Perspective- Attitude Perspective
Reasons for Low Demand:Reasons for Low Demand:
 Sophisticated technology willSophisticated technology will
automatically trigger demandautomatically trigger demand
 Belief that patients, if need eye care,Belief that patients, if need eye care,
will definitely come to uswill definitely come to us
 Providing Service as per Providers’Providing Service as per Providers’
ConvenienceConvenience
 Systems & Procedures are not patientSystems & Procedures are not patient
friendlyfriendly
 Gap between Patients’ Expectations &Gap between Patients’ Expectations &
Providers’ PerceptionProviders’ Perception
 Lack of patient orientationLack of patient orientation

21. Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand
- Quality Perspective- Quality Perspective Skilled Doctor & other staffSkilled Doctor & other staff
 Standard Clinical ProtocolStandard Clinical Protocol
 Good Administrative System &Good Administrative System &
ProceduresProcedures
 Courtesy & PolitenessCourtesy & Politeness
 Proper ExplanationProper Explanation
 Clean environment and comfortsClean environment and comforts
meeting or exceeding expectationsmeeting or exceeding expectations
 Systems to monitor clinical outcomesSystems to monitor clinical outcomes
& Patient satisfaction& Patient satisfaction

22. Factors that promote DemandFactors that promote Demand
- to the Rural areas & the poor- to the Rural areas & the poor
Reasons for LowReasons for Low
Demand:Demand:
 No one to EscortNo one to Escort
 Fear of SurgeryFear of Surgery
 IgnoranceIgnorance
 No desire forNo desire for
surgerysurgery
 No time for SurgeryNo time for Surgery
 No money forNo money for
surgerysurgery
Promoting Demand:Promoting Demand:
 Counseling to buildCounseling to build
confidence thatconfidence that
Staff will take careStaff will take care
 Health educationHealth education
 Explain benefitsExplain benefits
 FreeFree
Transport/FoodTransport/Food
 Free/subsidizedFree/subsidized
SurgerySurgery