Finding empathy, expertise on the ground and in the air

In the search for creative strategies, nursing home leaders can’t look just to their own peers. 

Inspiration is everywhere, as several executives recently told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. 

In the second part of our series on lessons in leadership from outside the senior care sector, we learn how looking to the skies and global hospitality leaders can inform customer service and quality and drive brand loyalty.

Rhonda Dempsey RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Trilogy Health Services, serves in a clinically oriented role, but she says when she wants to better understand the hospitality side of the business, she looks to emulate Marriott, owner of the world’s most hotel beds.

“I’m inspired by leaders who prioritize empathy and create cultures that value employees as much as customers,” she told McKnight’s. “Those who focus on purpose-driven leadership and foster environments of inclusion and continuous learning stand out. Similarly, companies that embed customer-centric values into every aspect of their operations provide excellent examples of how to exceed expectations and build lasting loyalty. … Marriott has a focus on customer service, hospitality and delivering great care, which are our goals in this industry.”

While Dempsey said she looks for new approaches by reading widely about business practices inside and outside of the sector, Marriott stands out to her for its “relentless focus on creating a personalized and welcoming experience for every guest.”

The hotel company once managed its own assisted and senior living portfolio, but it divested those properties in the early 2000s to refocus on its core lodging business.

Now,  as a multinational company that owns or runs more than 9,100 diverse hotel and timeshare properties around the world, this former competitor offers insights for current long-term care providers, Dempsey said.

Providers should start by actively listening to residents’ preferences and tailoring services to meet their unique needs, she said.

“The long-term care industry [also] can benefit from fostering a strong workplace culture where caregivers feel valued, supported, and motivated, which ultimately improves resident satisfaction and staff retention,” Dempsey said. “Marriott’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation — whether through technology or service models — demonstrates how embracing change can enhance quality and efficiency.”

Marriott’s global customer experience officer discusses how the chain has built a business that offers services and products around customer anticipation in this article.

Jim White, chief culture officer at Ignite Medical Resorts, is flying high with his pick: Southwest Airlines, which carried the third highest number of US flyers last year. 

“I was inspired by Ginger Hardage [former senior vice president for culture and communications]  from Southwest,” White told McKnight’s. “I had the opportunity to meet her earlier in my career and admired the way she turned Southwest Airlines into the number one airline based on shaping the customer (and employee) experience.”

JD Power has named Southwest No. 1 in customer satisfaction four years in a row in its North America Airline Satisfaction Study. Last year, Southwest also took first in “airline staff” and “level of trust.”

That kind of reputation has to be earned, and long-term care providers who also “infuse customer service and experience interactions into your operation,” will benefit with “great clinical outcomes, remarkable therapy, and a welcoming culture and employee experience,” said White.

“You have the opportunity to create a more home-like environment and more importantly brand advocates and company promoters,” he said. 

White also has researched and worked at Starbucks and National Car Rental to learn more about their strong customer service and experience programs. In addition, he’s leaned on his hospitality background to bolster Ignite’s approach to welcoming patients.

“From the beginning of our company, we benchmarked against luxury hotel brands and utilized the Net Promoter System (someone’s willingness to recommend) to strive to meet or exceed their industry average Net Promoter Scores,” he said. “As a company, we lead with hospitality and then focus on great care, therapy and experiences.” 

White recommends “The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World,” which includes the story of Hardage’s work at Southwest Airlines.

This is the second story in a two-part series. Read more leadership lessons from skilled nursing executives at Journey and Principle LTC in Part One.