Hospital Hospitality

It's nice to be appreciated for what you do.

If you manage a busy x-ray or medical imaging department, the last thing you want is equipment breaking down. Turning up on time and fixing the problem quickly reduces the inconvenience to a minimum. Stress levels tumble and staff quickly fall back into routine. Patients too, hate to be rescheduled.

So in the midst of turmoil, the engineer often arrives to hear "We're glad to see you". It's much nicer than "What took you so long?" If the problem can be diagnosed without a lot of fuss, much the better. If the fault is severe, honest communication is critical.
"Mr Manager, your equipment has a serious problem. It will need a new component that will take until tomorrow to arrive. I'll be back just as soon I have it. If there's any problem or delay I'll let you know straight away". So good, accurate information is essential so their timetable can be rescheduled. That information is then passed on to patients.

The engineer is an important part of a medical imaging department, even though he's not often seen. If I have a spare moment, I pay a visit to the department a couple of days after the service call to see that the equipment is behaving as his should.
This can create two responses. The manager has a momentary worried expression, wondering why you've called by, because he can't remember logging a service call.
"Just a quick visit to see if everything's still going all right" is generally enough to change the expression to relief. After that, it's nearly always appreciated that you cared enough to follow up your work.

It's a good ploy to turn up around morning or afternoon coffee break. Medical imaging staff know how to live well and bring cakes, pies and other niceties. Often you're invited to join in. It's also a simple gesture to bring along some goodies of your own to share.

Yes indeed. The little niceties of the workplace help make the difference between a great place to spend a portion of your day, or a place you turn up to.

Next time,