Finding the value in handwritten comments

By Brad Shiverick, Vice President of Research

My InnerView's satisfaction surveys allow providers to understand satisfaction levels, compare their results to others, trend results over time and identify the organization's greatest opportunities for improvement. Certainly, this information is extremely valuable.

As importantly, the last section of My InnerView's survey instrument provides an opportunity for respondents to share handwritten comments. Respondents are asked to comment on the following:

• Tell us what we do best
• Tell us what we can do to improve
• Any other comments or suggestions

These open-ended questions represent an often-untapped treasure trove of information. When the respondent is asked specific questions about quality of care, quality of life and quality of service, he or she is likely to respond honestly -- and that is valuable. But when you say "tell us what we do best" and so forth, you are asking the customer or employee to tell you what they find to be the most important thing to them. When they respond with narrative comments, they are telling you what they really think. It is to your advantage to really listen.

Sometimes the comment is from the customer who is desperate to be heard, who may have exhausted other avenues of communication and is trying one last time to be heard. Or it could be the employee that has never spoken up, but believes that by filling in the comment form, he or she can effect change. Regardless, with the vast amounts of information comments hold, it is essential leadership read and respond to comments that matter most to their organization.

A closer look

By looking closely at comments, you can quickly and effectively celebrate compliments, learn more about areas that need improvement and address potential risk issues. A comment can reveal opportunities for improvement about individual aspects of service, such as meals and dining:

"Meals sometimes seem pretty ho hum. Breakfasts are good but food is always served cold.”

Comments also tell you what are doing well – what is highly satisfying to customers. These are the things that leaders need to be aware of in order to leverage. Providers need to make sure that employees know these items are providing value to customers.

“Very nice birthday diner we were invited to enjoy with her on the 86th birthday. A special table, a rose, placemats and birthday napkins to show she is special. Also a piano recital of ‘Happy Birthday to You.’ She felt special. Thanks.”

In senior care, it is really the staff members that create the customer experience. The relationship that an employee has with a resident and his/her family is one of the most important aspects of service. Comments often illustrate just how important that relationship can be.

“The night Mother died, Mary sat and held her hand for hours before we got there. It was after her shift, but she wouldn’t leave until the family arrived. I will never forget her.”

If this information were lurking in the comments, wouldn’t it be a tragedy if it were missed? Not every employee-related comment is this powerful, but the majority of times when employees are mentioned by name, it is because of some act of kindness or service that they provided to the resident or family member. It is crucial that employees be recognized for their service.

Learn more about My InnerView's Comment Viewer Analyzer