Do Your Employees Care More About Policy or Customers?

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Company policies are often created for good reasons, but sometimes these policies get in the way of delivering or receiving a great customer experience. Can you afford to lose customers because “that’s the policy? This post is inspired by a shocking experience I had at a hospital recently. 

I got ill with Malaria and I had to call in sick at work that morning. I needed to visit a hospital and get things checked out by a professional. I was feeling so feverish and weak I almost had to drag myself to the hospital.

Unfortunately, the hospital close to my house is owned by the Military and built on a massive expanse of land, with various units far flung from each other.

By the time I made it to the reception area from the gate, I was already exhausted. I joined the medium-sized queue and waited my turn. Eventually, it got to my turn, and I presented my hospital card to the lady at the reception desk.

She glanced at it and informed me that card I had was being phased out and I had to get the new hospital card. She gave me some forms to fill and beckoned on the next patient to come forward.

I stepped aside and began filling the forms on the counter beside the desk. A few minutes later, I finished filling the forms and walked forward to submit them and get the new hospital card. The lady took the forms and then she asks for my ID Card. I retrieve it from my wallet and when I hand it over to her she says

“I need a photocopy, not the original”

At this point, I was starting to get impatient (no one walks around with a photocopy of their ID). At that moment, I noticed a photocopy machine on a table behind the lady. I glanced at the copier machine in a meaningful way and asked her if the machine was bad. She responds with a flat

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“It’s for internal use, you have to go outside to make a photocopy of your ID”

Incredible right? At this point, I was still trying to process what she just said, but that’s not the heartbreaking part. I pleaded again and she insisted the copy machine was for internal use only. I gave up and then asked her what section of the hospital I could find copier in and she says to me

“You have to go outside the gate, walk a little down the road, by the right you’d see a business centre. Make the photocopy there”

I could not believe my ears! This lady just asked a sick patient to walk a distance of about 0.5km under the sun to make a photocopy?!

The lady didn’t care or show me empathy despite my frail appearance at the time. She cared more about a policy which made absolutely no sense to me.

Not having any other option, I made the long walk to the hospital gate. There, I flagged down a cab and found my way to another hospital where I got the care I needed.

What Went Wrong Here?

  • At the first instance, the hospital had units far flung from each other and inadequate directional signs for visitors to navigate the facility. As a sick patient, the negative experience began from there.
  • The lady at the reception didn’t show any me form of concern or care all through my interaction with her. It was strictly transactional, the only thing she cared about was ensuring the photocopy machine policy was upheld.
  • The policy on the photocopy machine is absolutely flawed. Since the copy of my ID is required for their records I believe that is “internal use”.
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Sometimes policies, procedures and rules are put in place for what seem to be good reasons. But as the workplace and customer needs change, it is expected that the organization adapts to these changes or risk making customers feel like they aren’t important when they’re told “It’s for internal use only “ or “Our policy does not allow that”

When was the last time you took a look at your existing policies? It is important that all company policies are reviewed periodically. Do you really need them all? Some policies can get outdated, or become plain dumb if you neglect them.

Review the policies and ask yourself if they make things easier for the company or for the customer. If your policies aren’t in the best interest of your customers, then you risk losing them to a competitor who has their interests at heart.

Kelechi Okeke
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