Impact of a novel training experience on the development of a customer service culture in a large hospital trust

Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed with the intention of exploring the effectiveness of a novel approach to training health services workers to meet the aims of raising awareness of their customer care framework and encouraging a culture of customer service throughout their organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The impact of the educational intervention was examined using a mixed methods approach involving pre‐ and post‐workshop questionnaires and one‐to‐one, semi‐structured interviews.

Findings

The paper finds that the approach adopted was effective in raising awareness of the customer care framework and in enhancing participant's self‐efficacy in relation to the principles of customer care. Transference to the workplace was dependent on personality and departments having sufficient numbers of staff participating.

Research limitations/implications

Time and resources for the project limited the follow‐up interviews designed to explore if, and to what extent, the learning had had a lasting impact on participants and if it had enabled transference to the workplace. In addition, complications in releasing people from work in order to take part meant that a number of volunteers had to withdraw. This limits the range of data obtained.

Originality/value

This paper describes a novel research‐informed approach to training, involving participants in high fidelity, error‐based simulations and in a research process which facilitated their repeated reflection on the learning. As a result the paper demonstrates large‐scale training of customer care can effectively impact on practice.

Citation

Eales‐Reynolds, L. and Clarke, C. (2012), "Impact of a novel training experience on the development of a customer service culture in a large hospital trust", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 483-497. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861211246449