When I went into hospital with my wife recently, I was expecting good care. I was expecting optimal recovery. What I wasn't expecting however, was to be inspired by some of the most efficient, exceptional customer service operations that I have ever witnessed.

Here are the top five things I observed which you can emulate in your business to increase customer satisfaction.

1. Excel at Team Handovers

When we arrived at the hospital in emergency, I was starting to get edgy while waiting on some bandages we were promised. All of a sudden the curtain opened, and there stood almost 16 nurses and doctors.

It was time for the morning handover.

Think about how much confidence it gave to us to know everyone was on the same page, and that all the intricacies of our needs would be shared. It was very concise and far better than an e-mail no one will read.

Now, think about your customers internally and externally. When your customers move from prospecting to doing business, from sales or projects to support - do you take the time to make sure everyone is together and on the same page, or do you just hope and assume everything will be ok?

Key Learning: Look at how you can optimise the handover process for your team during each key transition. Not only will it ensure your teams are sharing the right knowledge, it will also inspire confidence and satisfaction in your customers.

2. Master Questioning

Think about the last time you visited the doctor's office When you told them you had an issue, chances are they moved straight into question mode. "Why do you think you have that?" "How are you feeling?" "Where does it hurt?" "How long has it hurt for?"

They ask questions because they don't make assumptions - the right questions help to clarify the situation.

Now, doctors see many of different people a day. They can't have domain knowledge everywhere. Just like you, they will encounter multiple issues.

The key is to have a questioning structure, based around five generic questions which help you pivot based on the answer. I once did this with a customer who said they were spending too much on plant maintenance (which I know little about). Here's how the conversation started.

I asked, "Why?"

"Because we don't have good visibility of inventory and we expedite a lot."

"Why do you feel you don't have visibility?"

"Because it is all paper based."

"How much is it costing you?"

... and so on.

Key Learning: The next time a customer or colleague  says they want something, or they have an issue, don't jump straight into solution mode. Start asking general probing questions and go as many levels deep as you can. You will either find another solution is needed, or you will have extra information to add value to the existing solution.

3. Assess Multiple Data Sources

Thanks to the Internet, we walked into the hospital knowing exactly what was wrong with us.

Now of course, this carried very little weight and the team very quick carried out one of their own tests, and proceeded with more specific testing. They spent time to ensure they triangulated on the symptoms and root cause before moving to the solution.

Just like a doctor would face malpractice for giving out the wrong medicine based on improper analysis, we all face our own ethical malpractice if we don't uncover our customer's true needs.

Key Learning: How often do you prescribe an action or solution based on a single piece of information? Make sure you find multiple data sources whether verbal or data based before prescribing action.

4. Keep Information Central

One of our biggest worries was that something might get mixed up with multiple people around and the many intricacies to the care.

However, nurses and doctors excel at having centralized, visible information. A simple written sheet kept everyone on the same page when they visited the room, and information about vital signs was visible in the central nursing station for an optimal ability to react.

Think about your business. When a customer calls, can you accurately talk to them about a range of topics, and make sure you pick up on their intricacies? Even better, how can you keep your finger on their pulse to react before they even know they have a problem?

Key Learning: Focus on moving informal systems such as spreadsheets and multiple legacy systems into a central accessible system, such as a CRM. This reduces risk and maximizes customer satisfaction. This also allows you to monitor key vital signs, such as buying cycles and issue follow ups so you keep on top of things.

5. Know the Value of Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators are a simple snapshot of the health of a particular area of the business. While their level of use can vary, there is no denying it is difficult to improve what you don't measure.

The first thing they do in a hospital when you are admitted is throw on a vital sign monitor. They watch you against standards, and set a baseline for improvement.

 Furthermore, look around any hospital and you will see indicators for each patient in traffic signal format (green for good, yellow for moderate, and red for a problem). This means they can save time by focusing on the priorities, and monitor improvements.

Key Learning: Look for ways to institute performance monitoring, but don't let best become the enemy of good. Pick a few KPIs which are important to your strategies and goals and find ways to measure. This will ensure your team is focused on ideal outcomes, and saves time by making sure you can identify and act on focused areas.

While I'm hoping to not be a regular visitor to a hospital, I will say that the visit was highly enlightening, and I truly believe by emulating the way the hospital operations run, customer service and business effectiveness can be optimized regardless of what industry you are in.