PRINCIPAL FUNCTION OF

FRONT OFFICE

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Functions & Importance of Front
Office

• Front Office is the heart

of the hospital.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Front Office………?

First
Interactive
point

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Please write a One Sentence
Definition of
CUSTOMER
FRONT OFFICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 What is Customer ?
A customer refers to individuals or households that
purchase goods and services generated within the
economy.
The word historically derives from "custom," meaning
"habit"; a customer was someone who frequented a
particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase
goods there, and with whom the shopkeeper had to
maintain a relationship to keep his or her
"custom," meaning expected purchases in the
future.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Customer
Customer needs may be defined as the
goods or services a customer requires
to achieve specific goals. Different
needs are of varying importance to the
customer. Customer expectations are
influenced by cultural values,
advertising, marketing, and other
communications, both with the
supplier and with other sources.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Front office
In business, front office refers to
Sales and Marketing divisions of a
company. It may also refer to other
divisions in a company that involves
interactions with customers.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Customer service
Customer service
(also known as Client Service)
is the provision of service to customers
before, during and after a purchase.

According to Turban et al, 2002, “Customer

service is a series of activities designed to
enhance the level of customer satisfaction –
that is, the feeling that a product or service
has met the customer expectation.”

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Customer service…….
Customer service may be provided by a
person (e.g., sales and service
representative),
or
by automated means called self-service.

Examples of self service are Internet

sites.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Customer relationship
management / Front office
Management
• Customer relationship management
(CRM) is a term applied to processes
implemented by a company to handle
their contact with their customers.
• software is used to support these
processes, storing information on
customers and prospective customers.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Cont…
• Information in the system can be accessed
and entered by employees in different
departments, such as Billing,Account, sales
, marketing, customer service,
Admission, In-Patients Services ,
performance management,
human resource development, and
compensation.
• Details on any customer contacts can also
be stored in the system.
• The rationale behind this approach is to
improve services provided directly to
customers and
Vijayto use Raghuvanshi
Pratap the information
M.Phil,inMHA
the
system.
 Customer relationship
management
CRM includes many aspects which relate directly to
one another:
• Front office operations — Direct interaction with
customers, e.g. face to face meetings, phone calls,
e-mail, online services etc.
• Back office operations — Operations that
ultimately affect the activities of the front office
(e.g., billing, maintenance, planning, marketing,
advertising, finance, manufacturing, etc.)
• Business relationships — Interaction with other
companies and partners, such as
suppliers/vendors and retail outlets/distributors

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Functions of the front office

 To identify and analyze customer

needs and problems.
 Recognize the most common reasons
for customer complaints.
 Discover techniques to cultivate and
maintain special customer
relationships.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Functions of the front office

Assess your communication style and

use two-way communication skills to
level with people, to accept feedback
from them, and to discuss problems.
Identify specific problems in your
customer service program and apply
treatment.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Functions of Front Office –
Hospital
• Registration
The Patient/
Guest coming for
treatment or
willing to show a
Consultant

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Registering guests
• The hospital is required to keep a
complete register of guests
essential for other departments also:
Medical Record
Admission
Billing
Ward / Diagnostic
Others

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Data Required for registration
• Personal data • Sensitive personal
– any information data
relating to an – personal data that
reveals race or ethnic
identified or
origin, political
identifiable opinions, religious or
natural person philosophical beliefs,
• eg. Name, health, or sex life.
address, Phone
No.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Functions
2. Information to the Guest
Provide any other related information :
Tariff
Senior Citizen Club
Other Packages
Other Investigation – Laboratory /
Diagnostic
Emergency / In-Patients
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Functions ?
3. Cash Collection :
The registered amount to be collected
from the guest and will be deposit to
the cash at the end of the day/ before
closing the counter / handover to
other person.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Information / Enquiry Handling
“Rudeness is a weak person’s attempt at
strength.”
• Be considerate, friendly &
affable.
• Practise courtesy. Say -
please.
• Tell the truth by all means,
but with tact & kindness.
• Explain. Do it patiently.
• Accommodate the other
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
viewpoints.
• Allow criticism.
 Report Making
• Cencus report
• Other reports

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Questions On Being A
Customer
Why do you need customer service?
Was the service provided over the phone or in
person?
How did the customer service representative
respond to your request, inquiry or problem?
If you felt the service was excellent, describe
what made it so good.
If you felt the service was exceptionally poor,
describe what made it that way.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Do You Know Why Customer
Leave?
1% die.
3% move away.
5% develop other relationships.
9% leave for competitive reasons.
14% are dissatisfied with product or
service.
68% leave because of rude or
discourteous service.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Why Me ?
Now the question arise

“ Why Me”

Means

Why a Front Officer so

Important ???
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
What Important factors for
Customer ?
• Communication.
• Customer Sensitivity.
• Decisiveness.
• Energy.
• Flexibility.
• Follow-up.
• Impact.
• Initiative.
• Integrity.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Important
• Job Knowledge.
• Judgment.
• Motivation To Serve.
• Persuasiveness/Sales.
• Planning.
• Resilience.
• Situation Analysis.
• Work Standards
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Excuses Excuses?
List five to eight excuses you hear
customer service representatives give
for offering indifferent or poor customer
service.
Think of one of more ways to counter
each excuse.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Common Excuses for Service Lapses:
I don't have enough time.
I don't get paid to be nice. I am
measured by my productivity and
accuracy.
How can we do a good job if the
computer is always down?
Every customer is totally bonkers today.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
Common Excuses for Service Lapses:
√ I can't deal with people who do not show me
respect.
√ How can we do a good job if the other
departments do not provide the back-up we
need?
√ I am having a bad day.
√ People are basically stupid.
√ I am always too busy.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
The Customer Wants You To
 . . . Greet me.
 . . . Value me.

 . . . Help me.

 . . . Listen to me.

 . . . Invite me back.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
give your
customers ‘a
damn good
listening to’
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 Front office
• Areas coming under Front Offices
/Out Patient Area (OPD)are:-
• Main Reception
• Consultation Rooms
• Diagnostic
– ECG, ECHO, MRI, CT-SCAN
• Sample Collection

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

 Few Front Office Challenges in
Healthcare service
• Customer interfaces to enable high flow
• Introduce new services and service bundles
quickly
• Perform various checking to reduce error rate
• Handle pending patients/guests efficiently
• Handle and synchronize customer and product
data
• Proper communication with minimum time.
Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA
 MAIN GOAL
Your Main Goal is to have each patient
leave with a smile / satisfaction on
their face and a feeling of having been
well take care of by you and your
employees/friends.

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Dealing with Upset Customers
• Listen first, then offer solution
• If you cannot resolve the problem ask
your supervisor/Superior to resolve
the problem.
• Offer alternatives

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA

Last but not Least – Attendance

Every morning my brain

tells me to exercise…
….. and my body
laughs at the idea

Vijay Pratap Raghuvanshi M.Phil, MHA