Our Responsibility to Move Audiology Forward

By Judy Huch

This article is a part of the September/October 2019, Volume 31, Number 5, Audiology Today issue.

A culture of quality is needed if we are to bring audiology into the spotlight and highlight our expertise in hearing and balance. Ritz-Carlton co-founder and former president Horst Schulze states that we can create transactions every day, but until we place the person next to us as the most important person in the world in that moment, we will never create an experience. No matter which employee you ask in a Ritz-Carlton what their objective is, they will all say, “to keep our guest.” This has helped create the culture and branding of one of the world’s most famous and respected hospitality names. Ritz-Carlton also creates the framework for all of their employees to hold to the gold standard of “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” The gold standard doesn’t make anyone better, but the way the customer is treated is exceptional.

Mission and Core Values

Where does satisfaction start?

What does customer satisfaction look like in a private practice for audiology?

It starts with finding the gifts of our employees and making sure they share the vision of the practice. The mission statement and core values should be more than a phrase in the company handbook. They should be lived every day in the offices they serve in, and yes, all of us need to be reminded of what this mission is on a regular basis. The office, as a group, should pick the core values, which can be changed from year to year.

If there is participation from the team, there will be more buy-in. Working as a team takes time and trust, but working through something as important as core values is a great way to start. In the past, we had employees break that trust, but we were able to come back to the core values to help heal and move on.