Improving managed care value through customer service.

The ability of managed care providers to deliver high-quality customer service to managed care customers depends on their adoption of basic customer-service principles. To apply these principles effectively, providers need to understand and work to exceed the particular needs and expectations of these customers, which include boards of directors, senior executives, physicians, healthcare providers, clinical and patient financial services managers and staff, employers, brokers, and patients. Although these needs and expectations can be predicted to some extent, providers would be wise to implement regular surveys of customers and an open procedure for soliciting customer feedback about service issues. Better customer service for the broad range of managed care customers translates into higher levels of employer and patient satisfaction, which ultimately benefits providers.