Category: 5.1. Achieving patient-friendly services
Patient surveys by the practice manager at Chessel Practice in Southampton revealed that some patients were unhappy with the level of service they were receiving from receptionists.
Practice Manager Vanessa Young wanted to offer reception staff external customer service training and decided that the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 in Customer Service would be a good starting point.
The training was delivered free of charge through the Government’s Train to Gain programme. The participants were required to complete several modules, on topics such as ‘giving a positive impression’ and ‘dealing with customers face to face’.
The workload consisted of independent study, carried out in the participants’ own time, plus appraisal by a visiting assessor, who came to the practice to observe the participants and provide feedback on their assignments. The first three receptionists to complete the qualification were the longest serving and, initially, were extremely resistant to the idea. They even threatened to leave.
‘We made a deal with them,’ Vanessa explains. ‘We said they had to start the course and if they then wanted to drop out, the practice would pay the £100 penalty fee for doing so. We also stressed that the practice would support them fully throughout the course, in whatever way it could.’
Once the first three participants had embarked on the qualification, resistance evaporated. The tasks were manageable and there were some unexpected positive experiences.
For instance, doctors and the practice manager were required to write ‘witness statements’ about the trainees, and the affirmative messages these contained made the receptionists feel valued.The first participants took three to four months to gain their NVQs. The remaining reception staff are being put through the programme in groups of two.
Vanessa Young
vanessa.young@nhs.net
