Most people can recall an experience of poor customer service. Perhaps you were transferred multiple times to different people? Perhaps the person on the phone was not knowledgeable and was unable to assist you. Or maybe the person was rude and unprofessional?
Laboratory employees may not always think about the laboratory as a service center, but laboratories are businesses offering the broad services of specimen collection and specimen processing. Every time a phlebotomist interacts with a patient, a technologist has a phone interaction with a provider or nurse, or a manager sends an email to a manager in another department, the customer service aspect of the laboratory is represented.
The customer base will vary depending on the type of laboratory, but the basic customers for most laboratories are providers and their patients. Take a moment to think about all the non-laboratory individuals who communicate with you daily. This communication may be face-to-face, on the telephone, or via email. Therefore, it is easy to understand how communication is the foundation of customer service.
