One of the toughest jobs in EMS is rarely mentioned along with intubating bloody airways or extricating people from upside-down cars on cold, rainy nights. You won't find guidelines for doing it properly in any EMS text, and you won't see the topic offered at educational conferences. But it's vital just the same. People in EMS agencies are doing it everywhere, right now. And anytime they bungle the job, they can expect awful consequences.

It's the skill and art of handling their customers' complaints.

None of us are perfect, especially considering the challenges we face every day. And if we're not perfect, then neither are the organizations we work for. So, complaints are inevitable--especially considering the sky-high expectations of our customers.

The Value of Feedback

Some EMS agencies pay professional consultants big money for advice on how to improve their systems. That's good, because it demonstrates their sense of accountability to the public. If you don't believe in that kind of accountability, you should expect to wake up some day immersed in a nightmare that's all too real.

But the most knowledgeable experts about your agency's service are not outsiders. They're the people who have sampled its end results first-hand and on the worst days of their lives. Their observations can tell you more about your mission, your recruitment and selection processes, your equipment, your training programs and your organization's heart than any other expert you'll ever find.

They're the people you serve.

Think about it. They're all around you. It's in their nature to watch and assess everything you do. They share their observations willingly and without charge, whether you ask for them or not. And if you're not willing to listen, they'll eventually find someone who is.

If you're like most of us, you don't get too excited about free advice. After all, as the saying goes, it's only worth what you pay for it. But considering that it's coming from your ultimate bosses, maybe you should listen. In fact, maybe you should do more than listen. Maybe you should solicit their feedback, routinely and systematically. Then listen.

It's essential for every organization that serves people to possess something called customer sense. Essentially, customer sense is anything that would make sense to a customer. Without a thorough understanding of its customers' needs, no service organization can last very long.