Can you remember life on the turnpike before (and I know some of you still are doing things the old-fashion way) the Sunpass? Literally needing to stop the car and pay someone or searching your car aimlessly for exact change to toss into the plastic net thing – ridiculous. With technology comes change. One thing I miss about the old way of doing things on toll roads is something I used to do to entertain the kids (and myself as well for that matter). If the toll was a fixed amount and say under two dollars, we would occasionally pay for the car behind us (who happened to be a perfect stranger). “Here’s $3 for us and our friend who is following us”, we would say to the toll worker. We would slowly pull forward and look back as the confused motorist tried to pay. Most of the time, after they figure it out, the driver would catch up to us and give us a wave and a warm smile because he or she knew it was just a kind and playful jest. In some cases, I am sure it also made their day; probably later telling others what had happened. In a way, we should encourage our team to take the same approach with their patients. We should encourage them to look for ways to be the best part of a person’s day. Think about that. How great would it be if regardless of why they came to see you, the folks in your organization became the best part of their day. Developing a team of “Daymakers” will cost you nothing extra or take your team any extra time in their day. It only takes getting your team to view their job in a different light when dealing with patients and their families. The little things don’t mean a lot, they can mean everything. Build a team of Daymakers and watch your patient satisfaction soar to new heights.
