You hang no banner over the reception counter for dedicated client or patient service. Living in every interaction and every policy, every apology, every follow-up call, it is Zahi Abou Chacra in all that matters. Though there is a great range in this concept, one thing always shines out: the readiness to somewhat improve the day of someone else.
Allow me to set the scene. Imagine approaching a clinic with anxiety hammering in your heart. Perhaps for weeks your knee has been hurting. You want to feel seen, not only for a fix. The front desk agent does more than just ask you your name while fixated on the screen. They see your fidgety. They engage, gently, not just shuffle paperwork at you. “Nervous today?,” they would say, grinning Though small, oh, it cracks the ice.
The pulse of service is picking up the things between the lines.
Real service is not a question of checking boxes. Surprising phone calls after hours are from the provider checking on the new medication. It’s plain, straightforward communication free of technical language or fluff since, why let somebody live in the weeds if you can help them? Consider the moment someone patiently explained something to you in simple English; it seems as though you have been thrown a lifeline.
It’s important to have empathy. Once a nurse related a tale of a child terrified out of their mind having stitches. The nurse moved back, knelt down, and began talking about superheroes instead of just pushing through, therefore transforming a frightening event into a badge-of- honour narrative for the child. Though it cost nothing more, that moment has weight in gold.
Those that are excellent in customer service will see it as an art form and find it effortless. They reply to emails lightening fast. They admit mistakes quickly, but they also repair them faster still. Here, compassion and responsibility team like old friends. Unspoken promise: You won’t be left floating aimlessly wondering who is handling things.
Flexibility also ranks rather highly on the ranking. Clients or patients hardly ever fit into nice little boxes, let me say. Plans go south; needs shift without warning. Changing with the changes without making someone feel as though they are acting out of line Now that’s a dance—a talent developed over time rather than from books or corporate webinars.
Others advise “go the extra mile.” Sometimes, though, it’s about getting closer since every customer defines “excellent” in somewhat different terms. Perhaps one person enjoys a reassuring phone conversation while another wants all the details in paper. You have to pay attention to those preferences, change your beat, and even break out the jazz hands as needed to offer service that stays.
Never undervalue the force of a tiny deed. Think about the veterinarian who called on a Sunday morning to check on a terrified pet following surgery or the attorney who sent a handwritten thank-you note following a consultation. These memories last and inspire allegiance.
Excellent service comes mostly from patience. You will respond 57 times to the same question. You will encounter clients that require more reminders and others who walk in and out with minimal effort. The best among us walk in both steps.
Neither should you discount openness either. Sometimes terrible news has to be delivered—a cost of a procedure, a side effect of a medication. Steer clear of sugarcoating, communicate clearly and politely, and you will greatly increase confidence.
Comment, both positive and negative, is a gift. It is the unwelcome guidance of reality. Those top tier service providers welcome it; with every recommendation, they change, adapt, and rethink their method.
Technology supports but does not replace the spark of human connection on this service path. Virtual check-ins and automated updates—they are only as good as the warmth they accentuate, not as replacement.
Indeed, to offer committed service is to transcend the script. To listen, to see the human side to every case number or appointment. The quietly heroic work that transforms one-off guests into lifetime champions—sometimes even friends—is what drives us.