The use of secret shopping as a method of increasing engagement in the healthcare industry: A case study

Abstract

While on their own, customer service and employee engagement are integral parts of maintaining a successful healthcare organization; when tied together, they become an unavoidable aspect of the organizational achievement. We look at how these items are not only tied together, but dependent upon one another. As customer service initiatives for healthcare organizations become even more crucial with new government initiatives, administration must look into tactics that will drive patient experience and overall customer satisfaction. What research has begun to show is that employee engagement and overall job satisfaction weigh heavily on the amount of effort shown by staff members, as well as their eagerness to learn. Mystery shopping has become one of the most accurate ways to assess customer service throughout a variety of industries, including healthcare. Through the use of mystery shopping and initial employee engagement surveys, we were able to determine benchmark levels. From our initial findings, we looked at testing the impact of customer service and management training on overall employee engagement. Our research and testing was able to locate a direct relationship between employee engagement, job satisfaction, and increased customer service ratings.