For $800,000 Donald Duck Teaches Army Customer Service
After the Oscar ceremony last night, perhaps it's only fitting we read today about the Disney Institute (yes, that Disney) helping the U.S. Army revamp customer service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with a seminar required of all military and civilian employees at the facility called, "Service, Disney Style."
The Washington Post article reports:
"Col. Patricia D. Horoho, commander of the Walter Reed health-care system, said the goal is to change the culture there. 'When you enter the hospital, we want it to be the best experience possible,' she said. 'Disney fits that.'
" 'One day of training with Disney isn't going to change our hospital,'she added. 'Disney is one piece of a whole systemwide process we're trying to change.' "
This seems to be one of the steps in improving conditions at the medical center, plus good public relations, given the scandals and terrible problems exposed last year at the facility.
The article says that Disney characters are used as a motivational tool, such as Donald Duck's tantrums teaching a lesson that poor service equals customer frustration.
Readers also discover that: the Navy hired Disney to improve customer service ten years ago; one of the trainers was a former Navy lawyer who now has a second career with Disney; more than 2,000 workers will attend these four hour sessions and the Army is paying $800,000 for Disney to change employee attitudes at Walter Reed.
One example given in the article, " 'Much of it involves paying attention to details that matter to patients and visitors, Lafferty [Disney trainer]noted. 'If I go to the doctor's office and all the plants are dead, I don't have a good feeling,' she said.
" 'A wheelchair with frayed padding on the arm rests leaves a lasting impression,' Donnelly [Disney trainer] said."
Translation: Take pride in your work and make sure your service and surroundings reflect that.
Another example in the article: "Late in the day, Donnelly gave some advice that seemed to resonate with his audience: 'Get in a wheelchair and look at these processes through the shoes of your patient.' "
Translation: Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Treat everyone, patients, families, etc. the way you would want to be treated, with dignity, respect, sensitivity, and care.
These are all good, common sense, humanity lessons, but at a pretty steep price tag of $800,000.
Given Bush's economic recession, his trillions in deficits, and billions in taxpayers' money stolen by war profiteers with ineffective or no oversight in defense spending, maybe the Army should have:
1) asked the Navy medical service what it learned ten years ago and adapted it to the Walter Reed situation without shelling out $800,000.
2) provided all the customer service lessons to employees in a packet and/or DVD during shorter "common sense" discussions and staff meetings for a lot less that $800,000.
But, for $800,000, Disney Institute seminar attendees at Walter Reed do receive Donald Duck and Goofy figurines.
The Washington Post article reports:
"Col. Patricia D. Horoho, commander of the Walter Reed health-care system, said the goal is to change the culture there. 'When you enter the hospital, we want it to be the best experience possible,' she said. 'Disney fits that.'
" 'One day of training with Disney isn't going to change our hospital,'she added. 'Disney is one piece of a whole systemwide process we're trying to change.' "
This seems to be one of the steps in improving conditions at the medical center, plus good public relations, given the scandals and terrible problems exposed last year at the facility.
The article says that Disney characters are used as a motivational tool, such as Donald Duck's tantrums teaching a lesson that poor service equals customer frustration.
Readers also discover that: the Navy hired Disney to improve customer service ten years ago; one of the trainers was a former Navy lawyer who now has a second career with Disney; more than 2,000 workers will attend these four hour sessions and the Army is paying $800,000 for Disney to change employee attitudes at Walter Reed.
One example given in the article, " 'Much of it involves paying attention to details that matter to patients and visitors, Lafferty [Disney trainer]noted. 'If I go to the doctor's office and all the plants are dead, I don't have a good feeling,' she said.
" 'A wheelchair with frayed padding on the arm rests leaves a lasting impression,' Donnelly [Disney trainer] said."
Another example in the article: "Late in the day, Donnelly gave some advice that seemed to resonate with his audience: 'Get in a wheelchair and look at these processes through the shoes of your patient.' "
Translation: Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Treat everyone, patients, families, etc. the way you would want to be treated, with dignity, respect, sensitivity, and care.
These are all good, common sense, humanity lessons, but at a pretty steep price tag of $800,000.
Given Bush's economic recession, his trillions in deficits, and billions in taxpayers' money stolen by war profiteers with ineffective or no oversight in defense spending, maybe the Army should have:
1) asked the Navy medical service what it learned ten years ago and adapted it to the Walter Reed situation without shelling out $800,000.
2) provided all the customer service lessons to employees in a packet and/or DVD during shorter "common sense" discussions and staff meetings for a lot less that $800,000.
But, for $800,000, Disney Institute seminar attendees at Walter Reed do receive Donald Duck and Goofy figurines.
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