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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2002
Illinois Council Offers Booklet for
Training Staff on
Customer Relations Techniques
(Chicago) – In today’s competitive marketplace,
providing quality customer relations is an increasingly
important issue that involves every staff person at a
nursing facility. Customer service impacts resident
quality of life, relationships with families, employee
job satisfaction, and a facility’s community image. To
help nursing facilities train staff on proper service
techniques, the Illinois Council on Long Term Care, an
association of nursing home professionals, created the
booklet "Quality Customer Relations."
"Quality Customer Relations"
is an entertaining but serious look at important
customer service issues that is written specifically for
front-line staff members. Through the use of graphics,
catchy phrases and pictures, customer service techniques
are explained in an easy-to-understand and
non-threatening way. Direct care staff members are able
to quickly read this booklet and learn about successful
customer relations approaches that greatly impact on a
facility’s reputation in the community. Topics covered
include:
· Creating a
Positive First Impression
· Utilizing
Proper Telephone Etiquette
· Effectively
Communicating with Facility Customers
· Offering
Care and Compassion to Residents and Families
· Handling
Customer Conflicts and Dealing with Upset Customers
· Focusing on
Solutions to Problems, Rather Than Just Offering
Excuses
The Illinois Council also created an
"Instructor’s Guide" to help a facility’s
in-service coordinator utilize this booklet for
maximum impact. The Illinois Council recommends that all
staff members from every department, on all three
shifts, receive training on these customer service
techniques.
"Over half of the referrals that a facility
receives come from `word of mouth,’ reflecting a
facility’s reputation in meeting its customers’
needs," states Terrence Sullivan, executive
director of the Illinois Council on Long Term Care.
"With the marketing challenges that providers
currently face, managers must train all of their
employees about providing outstanding customer service
to remain competitive."
The Illinois Council is offering "Quality
Customer Relations" to providers at the price
of $50 for 50 booklets. Members of the Illinois
Council will receive the discounted price of $25 for
50 booklets. To order, contact the Illinois Council at
(773) 478-6613 or visit its publications catalog
on-line at www.nursinghome.org/pro/pub/pub.html.
# # #
The Illinois Council on Long Term Care is an
association of nursing home professionals representing
220 facilities employing 26,000 staff members who
serve over 38,000 residents. More information on
long-term care issues can be found at the Council’s
web site www.nursinghome.org.
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