Inspiration for Customer Experience (CX) excellence can come from the most unexpected places. As business leaders, we know that keeping an open mind and learning from every occurrence is crucial to improving our own practices.
Recently, I had an eye-opening experience that reinforced this lesson in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
After the holiday season, I found myself grappling with severe lower back pain, which escalated into a medical ordeal that spanned hospital stays, emergency surgeries, and a lengthy recovery.
While the pain was, without a doubt, overwhelming, it provided me with a unique opportunity to observe the healthcare system from the patient’s perspective—a perspective that offers valuable lessons for any business striving for customer experience excellence.
As CEOs and business owners, the insights I gleaned from this experience are not only relevant but essential. Let me share with you seven key lessons I learned during my hospital stay and how they can be applied to your business, especially when it comes to enhancing customer experience.
1. Introduce Yourself with Purpose
Every time a new nurse or doctor entered my hospital room, they introduced themselves and clearly stated their role in my care. This seemingly simple act built trust, creating a personal connection in an otherwise impersonal setting.
Business Application: In business, introductions shouldn’t be limited to names. Every team member should articulate their role and purpose in any customer interaction. This not only sets the stage for effective communication but also helps customers feel at ease.
Whether it’s a new client meeting, a sales call, or a routine service check-in, ensuring that your team introduces themselves with clarity and purpose can set the tone for a positive interaction. This small step can prevent unnecessary confusion and ensure that everyone involved knows their role in delivering value to the customer.
2. Acknowledge That You Know Me
Despite seeing different medical professionals throughout my stay, I never felt like I had to start over with my story. Each practitioner knew who I was and understood my situation. This continuity reassured me that my needs were understood and being managed properly.
Business Application: How often do customers feel like they have to start over when they interact with your business? Companies that invest in personalized experiences—whether through CRM systems, detailed customer records, or simply attentive staff—demonstrate a commitment to their customers’ needs.
According to Salesforce’s 2023 “State of the Connected Customer” report, 88% of customers expect companies to accelerate digital initiatives and personalization efforts. Every touchpoint in the customer journey must be informed by past interactions. When your customers feel known and valued, you’re far more likely to foster loyalty and trust.
3. Prioritize Comfort and Satisfaction
Each medical visit began with a simple question: “Are you comfortable?” It was an open invitation to share how I was feeling, which in turn helped the staff respond to my needs more effectively.
Business Application: How often do you check in with your customers, not just about the product or service they’re receiving but about how the overall experience feels for them? Many businesses focus too much on solving problems and not enough on preemptively ensuring customer comfort and satisfaction.
A proactive approach—where your team consistently seeks feedback, even before issues arise—can prevent larger problems and foster a culture of care.
A 2023 Bain & Company study revealed that companies who actively seek out customer feedback tend to outperform their competition by 21% in terms of profitability.
4. Ask What More You Can Do
Hospital staff didn’t just address my immediate needs; they consistently asked if there was anything else they could do for me. This attention to detail made me feel like my well-being was their priority.
Business Application: Going above and beyond the standard level of service can turn a satisfied customer into a delighted one. Asking your customers, “Is there anything more we can do?” opens the door to discovering unmet needs that your business could potentially fulfil.
This can lead to innovative ideas and the development of new products or services.
According to a 2022 report by PwC, 73% of consumers cite customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions, and businesses that focus on customer satisfaction often see a significant boost in both loyalty and revenue.
5. See Every Task Through to Completion
After surgery, I was told my recovery could take between 6 to 12 days. While my progress was faster than expected, I was still kept under observation for a full 10 days to ensure every aspect of my health was thoroughly addressed.
Business Application: Too often, businesses drop the ball right before crossing the finish line. As the well-known Napolean Hill quote goes
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.”
In today’s fast-paced environment, many companies feel pressure to innovate and move on to the next project before the current one is fully realized.
Successful companies, however, ensure that they see every task through to completion, even if it means going the extra mile. The real payoff often lies in those last few steps—whether it’s refining a product before launch or following up with a customer post-sale to ensure they’re satisfied. Persistence and thoroughness pay off in customer loyalty and long-term success.
6. Don’t Wait Until It’s Urgent
By waiting too long to ask for help with pain management, I ended up needing stronger medication to combat it. The lesson? Address issues early before they escalate.
Business Application: In business, waiting until a problem becomes urgent can be costly. Small, incremental improvements are far more sustainable and effective than last-minute fire drills.
This philosophy applies to everything from customer complaints to internal process improvements. By addressing issues early, you can prevent them from snowballing into larger, more disruptive problems.
Harvard Business Review found that companies that proactively manage their operations, identifying and addressing issues early, are 10% more profitable than those that are reactive.
7. The Customer is Always at the Center
Throughout my medical journey, the staff consistently reminded me that I was at the centre of their care. They adapted to my needs, understood my discomfort, and made me feel like my well-being was their top priority.
Business Application: This is the ultimate lesson: customer experience should always be centred around the customer, not the brand. Every communication, every process, and every decision should prioritize the customer’s needs.
McKinsey’s 2023 report on customer-centricity found that companies that embrace this mindset outperform competitors by 60% in profitability. Whether it’s redesigning your website, revamping your sales processes, or refining your product offerings, ask yourself: Are we putting the customer first? When you centre your business around your customers, the results speak for themselves.
Conclusions on Customer Experience Excellence
In conclusion, my unexpected journey through the healthcare system provided valuable insights that translate seamlessly into the business world. These lessons—introducing yourself with purpose, acknowledging your customer, prioritizing comfort, going above and beyond, seeing tasks through, addressing issues early, and centring your business around the customer—are applicable across industries.
As leaders, we are responsible for learning from our experiences and applying these lessons to continually improve.
The world around us is full of inspiration—sometimes from the most unexpected places, as this article shows. Are you looking for inspiration to introduce best practices in customer experience excellence from wherever they may come?
If you would like an audit of your business processes or information investments, call me. You’ll come away with at least three ideas you can immediately implement for improved growth and profitability. One client saved more than half their budget through one simple change I identified!
