Health Care Customer Service

I was happy and quite satisfied after my recent hospitalization, but I realize that most of my satisfaction came from the progress I was able to make, not from any effort the hospital was making to ensure my happiness as Zappos might. I was overjoyed that open WiFi was available, but dismayed that outlets at which I could charge my devices were so rare and so hard to get to. I got my fill of television way too quickly (though I wonder how practical it would be to provide access to better programming through pay-per-view services or DVDs), and I wish radio or other music selections were more readily available. Come to think of it, even better access to news and newspapers would have been welcome. No doubt patients have to concentrate on healing and rehab, but they also have to be able to maintain a connection to the rest of their lives and keep a sense of community.

(Amazon and The Cheesecake factory have already been mentioned here as models for customer service in health care.)