Go......Red Sox! Go......Food and Nutrition team!



Front row (Left to Right) Emi Rizik, Maria Petkiewich, Yuko Gosselin, Herb Rukin, Rose Noseworthy, Diane Cushing,
Rich Delacy
Back row: James Tuson, Betty De la Cruz, Jason Surette

I am going to be honest, I love the Boston Red Sox! Not based on how well they play, but it is the team spirit displayed by the team and most importantly by all Bostonians that makes me fall in love with the team. One can truly understand why we are called Red Sox Nation in Boston. You can walk around Boston and you will see everyone proudly wearing their Red Sox gear. You could go to any event, whether at someone's home or at a business meeting, and the Boston Red Sox somehow will always be in the conversation. When the team wins, everyone comes to work motivated. When the team loses, everyone feels depleted.

I couldn't help but feel this is the best team spirit that a team could display. A sense of belonging, pride and unity. I felt these feelings are similar at the Food and Nutrition department at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Recently, our team won the Spirit of Sodexo NorAm award, which is the highest honor in Sodexo North America. We also achieved a Tier 1 result, which is the highest score in the recent Hospital’s employee engagement survey.

When you walk into the department, everyone has the same goal: providing exceptional service to our patients, visitors and colleagues and there is a sense of pride, belonging and unity in the department.

I am proud to work with my team here at Lahey. Recently, Maria Petkiewich, a Jazzman's staff member submitted the below compliment about our director in Lahey's Above and Beyond page, which is a colleague recognition program at Lahey:

"Not Just My Boss, Also My Friend!
I want to thank Linda Clay. This September, the Food and Nutrition Department won the the award for being the "Best Team in North America." My colleagues in the department are very good workers, but Linda makes us be the best we can be! Under her leadership, we became not only a "team," but also a family. We work well together, not just for our paycheck, but to make the patients and visitors know that Lahey Hospital & Medical Center is a very special place. We have a wonderful role model in Linda. Whenever I have a concern or problem, she tries to solve it immediately. Every day, when I come into work, I try to be like Linda. I want to congratulate and thank her from the bottom of my heart. She is not just my boss, she is my friend!"

Exemplary service really starts from the top. I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize Linda, the Food and Nutrition management team, and all colleagues in the Food and Nutrition department for making everyday a better day for all those you served.

Go Red Sox! Go Team!

We've got the answer to Great Customer Service!

Should customer service be an art? Everyone thinks they know what customer service is. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes customer service is not a "one size fits all" practice. Treating each customer as an individual, listening to them and getting them what they want instead of what you think they want is the key to customer service. Of course, you having lots of smiles and enthusiasm will be an added bonus as well! However, doing all these things will only meet their expectations. Its like getting a "pass". In another words, the service is acceptable but not memorable.

In order to give a memorable experience, you have to exceed the customer's expectations. It sounds hard, right? It doesn't have to be. You can do it easily by paying just a little attention and taking one step further. For example, if someone asks you for directions, you should walk them to the destination or if you can't walk them all the way, you could walk a few steps with them until you can point them to the right direction. Often times people give you directions such as "Go straight, take a left, take a right , go through the first door and make a right......" Seriously, by then, you have already lost them! They might just be courteous and say thank you. You can lose a customer this easily as they might not want to come back due to the confusion.

After my explanation above, does exceeding a customer's expectations sounds more attainable? It's listening to your customer, treating them as an individual, providing them with what they want, and by doing the little things that matter to them. Voila! It's really that simple!

I used to work in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years before joining healthcare. I can't help but wonder why there is so much difference in service between a hotel and a hospital apart from medical assistance? Let's take a look at service provided in a hospital versus a hotel

In a hospital:
1) A telephone operator answers the phone
2) Self parking/valet parking is available
3) You check in with a coordinator/customer service representative
4) You are admitted to a room or unit
5) Housekeeping and turn down service is provided
6) Cafeteria is on site
7) Room Service is available

In a hotel:
1) A telephone operator answers the phone
2) Self parking/valet parking is available
3) You check in with a front desk agent
4) You are assigned a room
5) Housekeeping and turn down service is provided
6) Restaurant is on site
7) Room Service is available

The Sodexo team at Lahey always looks at ways to provide personalized service to our patients. We provide all the above mentioned services with a smile and treat all our patients as individuals. We always strive to provide the little things we call "exceptional service" to all our customers because we truly believe that patients and colleagues are the heart of everything we do!

Let's hear it from my colleagues in Environmental Services and the Food and Nutrition department in the following video: