"Up Your Service!"
Sample Version of HTML Newsletter

Welcome to Ron Kaufman's "UP Your Service!"(R) Newsletter #90

56,000+ subscribers now receive this e-mail newsletter. To SUBSCRIBE, send a message to join-bestof@RonKaufman.com To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to leave-bestof@RonKaufman.com

CULTURE POWER: Scolding Sessions at Alexandra Hospital

Alexandra Hospital had one lousy service reputation: long waits, unkempt facilities, unpleasant surroundings, surly staff...and an unpleasant association with suffering in Singapore's history. The complaints were long and tempers often ran short.

A few years ago, new management team took on the challenge of transforming this one-star hospital into a five-star service showcase. It took discipline, imagination and hard work. Today, Alexandra Hospital is developing a strong service culture and world-class patient care.

One of the culture-building tools used by the new management is "Scolding Sessions". These unusual sessions were described to me by hospital's CEO, Liak Teng Lit:

We receive 1,000+ feedback forms from patients and their families each month. Most feedback are positive. About 5% are negative or give suggestions for improvement. We contact this group and invite them to our patient focal group discussion. Typically 10 will come back.

Held over lunch on a Saturday, the sessions last about 90 minutes. We seat the patients in front in a circle. I chair the discussion. In my absence, Chairman of the Medical Board or the Chief Operating Officer chairs.

While attendance at these discussions is not compulsory, members of our management, clinical leadership team, nursing officers and supervisors are usually present. They sit behind to listen.

We tell the participants that we are providing lunch for them to scold us. Bad news tell us, good news tell others because criticism helps us improve while praise makes us complacent. I also "threaten" to charge them for the lunch if they do not point out our weaknesses.

While the participants are making comments we do not attempt to give any response. I merely take notes and urge them to elaborate further. Usually the participants will bring out 40-50 upsetting points over an hour. When they are done, I apologise for our failures and briefly explain what we intend to do to correct our mistakes and weaknesses. Where we are unable to respond positively, I explain why we cannot.

Feedback obtained are tabled for discussions and actions at our Quality Steering Committee meeting and other hospital and departmental meetings.

We have been doing this every month for the past five years. The original intent was for our customers to help us identify our failures and also to obtain their suggestions. But we realised that we achieved much more.

Our staff, especially the senior doctors, got to listen directly from patients how they felt about our care and services. The emotions communicated through their words, tone of voice, body language and facial expressions could only be expressed in a face to face meeting like this. These sessions make us to feel the pain of our patients and force us to be honest with ourselves. "Scolding Sessions" have played a significant role in changing the culture of the organisation.

When we started five years back, we had some very severe reprimands from participants and very often we would totally agree that we deserved the scolding. Today, we still receive negative feedbacks, but participants also praise us for our successes.

There was some concern in the early days that participants would be unreasonable and expect us to do the impossible. We do occasionally face a participant with extreme views (about one in thirty). But interestingly, when a participant takes an extreme position, other participants (who came to give us negative feed- back to begin with) will often get upset with the extreme person and many will defend the hospital. The discussion then returns to a more constructive level.

Finally, many of those who came for the feedback sessions have become our friends and staunch supporters when they saw the changes we have made in response to their suggestions."

Key Learning Point:

Upset customers can be one of your greatest sources of insight and suggestions for improvement. They can also help you and your staff feel the genuine consequences of giving poor service.

Action Steps:

Contact your unhappy, unpleasant or angry customers. Contact former customers who have left you for another service provider. Ask them to come for lunch. Ask them for honest feedback. Ask them for a scolding. Then take what you learn and put it to work: make yourself more understanding, make your team more compassionate, make your systems effective. Make your service better.

(Note: Thanks to Alexandra Hospital CEO, Liak Teng Lit for this generous sharing.)

When you forgive, you in no way change the past -- but you sure do change the future." - Bernard Meltzer

Ron Kaufman's brand-new "UP Your Service! College" uplifts service providers by building superior service culture.

"UP Your Service! College" includes: * Ron Kaufman's world-class training on video * Customised activities and exercises * Action steps for each key learning point * Certified in-house Course Leaders * Service culture-building toolkits

"UP Your Service! College" will be launched in Singapore with Select Previews on March 13-17. These one-day events will be conducted by Ron Kaufman for organisations interested in achieving superior service and building superior service culture.

To learn more about "UP Your Service! College", contact ServiceCollege@OtiConsulting.com or call (65)62257811. Enrolment in each day of "Select Preview" is limited to 36 participants.

Please note that "UP Your Service! College" will be available only in Singapore until Q2 of 2006. If you are interested in working with "UP Your Service! College" outside Singapore, please contact Ron@RonKaufman.com

ON THE PERSONAL SIDE: Feeling free to choose

Last month we spent the New Year holiday with Jen's family in Australia. Brighten is now 10 years old and enjoys doing things she doesn't get to do in urban Singapore - like riding around in a helmet on a four-wheeled motorbike!

At the end of the vacation I asked Brighten what she enjoyed the most; finding seashells, swimming in the ocean, bouncing on the trampoline, cooking barbecues, visiting the aquarium, or...

Immediately she replied, "Riding the motorbike!"

I asked, "What do you like so much about the bike?"

Her eyes lit up as she answered. "I can choose where to go. I decide how fast. I get to decide which way and where to turn. I choose when to stop and look at the trees. And I decide whether to drive through the sand or the mud. I choose what to do. I just feel free."

At ten years old, any kid gets told a lot what to do: when to go to sleep, when to wake up, what to eat, what to wear, what to do in school, even when to brush her teeth.

But on vacation there was a four-wheeled motorbike, and Brighten experienced self-direction, self-confidence and FREEDOM.

With grace and good fortune, may her future include much more. * * *

Wishing you the freedom to choose who you are, and the self- confidence to enjoy it.

Ron Kaufman

Creative ability and personal responsibility are strongest when the mind operates in an atmosphere of freedom." - Ayn Rand

The freedom to pursue your dreams is priceless." - Ron Kaufman

It's nice to hear from you. Thanks for the e-mail you sent and I enjoy reading it very much. I would appreciate that you continue sending more of your issues, because I begin to love it. Thanks again.

Edward W.

LEARN WITH RON KAUFMAN - LIVE!

Extraordinary opportunities to educate and motivate your entire service team. See you there!

DUBAI: 27 February 2006 "UP Your Service!" 2006 Call (9714)352-7803 or rightsel@emirates.net.ae

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia: 8 March 2006 "UP Your Service!" 2006 Call 6-082-456661 or clientcare@priorityone.com.my

SINGAPORE: 13-17 March 2006 Select 1-Day Previews of "UP Your Service! College" Call 6225-7811 or ServiceCollege@OTIconsulting.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: 21-23 March 2006 Customer Management Asia Congress 2006, Call 603-2723 6611 or winietas@marcusevanskl.com

SINGAPORE: 26 April 2006 "UP Your Service! SINGAPORE" Call (65)6288-1273 or enquiries@partners-conference.com

MANILA, Philippines: 9 May 2006 Building Customer Relationships that Sizzle and Succeed Call (63)-2-876-5200 or admin@teamasia.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: 15 May 2006 2006 National Achievers Congress Call 603-7880 0500 or nac@srpl.net

SINGAPORE: 18 May 2006 2006 National Achievers Congress Call (65)6299-4677 or nac@srpl.net

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: 7 September 2006 "UP Your Service!" 2006 Call (60)012 322 5707 or adc@synergyentire.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: 21 September 2006 How to Build a Company Culture that Serves, Sizzles and Succeeds Call (60)012 322 5707 or adc@synergyentire.com

* * *

"WRITING BACK!" Learn how to increase customer loyalty through effective written responses to customer complaints & compliments. This intensive two-day workshop has been proven with government, financial, medical and professional services, hospitality, manufacturing and retailing organizations. It can help you, too!

SINGAPORE: April 4-5, June 5-6, Sept 7-8, Nov 9-10, 2006 Call (65)6376-0777 or Mktg@sqcentre.com

DUBAI: 28 February - 1 March 2006 Call (9714)352-7803 or rightsel@emirates.net.ae

MANILA: 10-11 May Call (63)-2-876-5200 or admin@teamasia.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

RECOMMENDED: Resources for personal and professional growth.

Explore! The Hoffman Quadrinity Process is an intensive 7-day course in personal freedom, compassion and awakening. Proven and lasting results with solid credentials. See www.Quadrinity.com.au

Expand! Avatar courses are enlightening and esoteric. Building an Enlightened Planetary Civilization one thought at a time. Get the free e-book, "Living Deliberately", at www.AvatarEPC.com

LEARN WITH RON KAUFMAN'S BESTSELLING VIDEO, AUDIO & BOOKS: View and order from http://www.RonKaufman.com/products.html or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=3D981042132X/ronkaufmanA/

You may forward this newsletter to your customers and colleagues with full copyright and contact information intact, like this: Copyright, 2006, Ron Kaufman. All rights reserved. Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality service. He is author of the bestselling series "UP Your Service!"=AE and founder of "UP Your Service College". Visit www.UpYourService.com

To SUBSCRIBE, send a message to join-bestof@RonKaufman.com To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to leave-bestof@RonKaufman.com To CHANGE your e-mail address, SUBSCRIBE from the new address and UNSUBSCRIBE from the old address. Need HELP? Help@RonKaufman.com

Copyright, 2006, Ron Kaufman - "UP Your Service!"=AE 50 Bayshore Park #31-01, Aquamarine Tower, Singapore 469977 Tel: 65-6441-2760 Fax: 65-6444-8292 Website: www.RonKaufman.com E-mail: Ron@RonKaufman.com

"Inspiring people to learn, improve and grow."

=================================================
See you again next month!
=================================================