Client Satisfaction More Than a Measure of Success

By Stephanie Murdock, MSN, MBA, COHM 

Progressive occupational health programs have a method to assess its success as seen by clients. By moving beyond satisfaction scores, client assessments will provide clear direction on operational improvement and growth opportunities for strategic planning. 

An annual survey of all clients, contracted or episodic users, should include standard satisfaction questions (e.g. “Please rate your overall satisfaction with the occupational health services you receive”) with options such as poor, fair, good, very good, and excellent. It is typical to report the satisfaction score as the percentage of respondents that provided an excellent or very good rating. This question can be used year over year to gauge general satisfaction trends. 

What is a good net promoter score.

Obtaining the program’s net promoter score (NPS) is a key piece in any survey. NPS is an industry-standard method of measuring customer loyalty; higher NPS scores indicate potential for faster growth over competitors. The survey question is simple “On a scale of 1-10 how likely would you be  to recommend [brand/company] to a friend or colleague?” The percentage of promoters (level 9 or 10 scores) minus the percentage of detractors (those that provided a score of 6 and below) is the NPS. Promoters are loyal and will keep buying. It is key to review this group for vertical sales opportunities. The detractors are unhappy and can cause damage to the brand through negative word of mouth; efforts must be made toward service and perception recovery. Passives (those who give a 7-8 score) are vulnerable to competition. 

Tools used by sanford

Beyond satisfaction, the real benefit of an annual client assessment is to evaluate what clients value – why they choose one program over another. Options to this question may include convenience, easy to work with, corporate selection, access, quality, communication, and cost. 

The next line of inquiry should focus on the satisfaction of performance against those measures. For example, if the majority of clients value access, the program should inquire about the execution of the program in that area (e.g. rate your overall satisfaction with the program in the areas of assessment, convenience, etc.). Program administrators should view this as one of the most central subjects within the assessment. If clients rate specific areas as important to them when choosing a program, but provide an indifferent rating for the program performance in that area, leakage will occur. Competitors that perform better within that space will gain an advantage. Understanding what companies value when selecting a provider can focus on operational priorities. 

portrait of Stephanie Murdock, MSN, MBA.
Stephanie Murdock, MSN, MBA, COHM

Sr. Executive Director, Sanford Health Occ. Medicine & Employee Health

Finally, assess core customer service. “How well does the program meet expectations in the following areas: professional, fast and efficient, personal attention, knowledge about industry/ business needs?” This line of questioning allows the program to understand performance against universal customer service standards. Clients may report positively about actual services provided, but may not be as affirmative toward how it was provided. 

The objective of a useful assessment tool is to gain insight into what companies think and most importantly value when making decisions and how the program measures up to those values. Extending surveys beyond traditional satisfaction ratings and working to improve performance in the areas clients place value is a competitive edge. ← 

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