Here’s a wonderful story of customer delight and it comes from an NHS hospital! As terminally ill patient, 77 year old Sheila Marsh, lay in bed in in her hospital bed at Wigan Royal Infirmary and her condition worsened, she put in a very personal request. She asked if she could have one last chance to say goodbye to her beloved horse Bronwen, who she had raised from a foal over the last 25 years.
Amazingly, the hospital agreed to fulfil her dying wish and pulled out all the stops to organise for Bronwen to be brought to the hospital and Sheila to be wheeled out in her hospital bed for the reunion.
Apparently Sheila gently called to Bronwen and the horse bent down tenderly and kissed her on the cheek as they said their last goodbyes. Sheila’s daughter Tina explained that it was a “beautiful moment”. She said: “I was crying my eyes out and all the nurses were crying too. She took comfort out of it.”
Hours later, Sheila, who had been suffering from cancer, died.
The bosses at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust said that they acted on Mrs Marsh’s express wishes and Pauline Law, the deputy director of nursing, said “I am really pleased to have been able to facilitate the visit from Mrs Marsh’s horse. This was obviously extremely important to her and her family and we feel privileged to have been able to provide this support at this crucial stage of her care. It is absolutely right that we should pull out all the stops to ensure that our patients and their families receive personalised, compassionate and dignified care at the end of their life and this is what we will always strive to achieve.”
It’s a very touching and wonderful example of listening to a customer’s wishes and responding to them – even if those expectations are very high. It also highlights the role that leaders play in encouraging and empowering people to do it.
How good is your business at listening to your customers’ requests? More importantly, how good is your business at responding?
