Let me drift away from healthcare, patient engagement, end of life, and the other topics I embrace. I want to take a moment and reflect on caregiving. Not caregiving as in healthcare but in the care you are given once you buy an app or any product for that matter. The product is only one piece of a brands’ gestalt.
A few years back I became acutely aware my password management was a mess. I was using the same word on multi sites or forgetting what I used to set it up and worse using simple words. At the time I was looking for something to fix my password cluster mess. I heard on a podcast (advertising) about 1 Password. I bought it. It was a paid app. Using my mantra I sought a solution to a problem I had.
1 Password worked and over nearly four years has served me well and made my password issues a thing of the past. Over this period the folks at Agliebits answered questions, solved problems, and even refunded me money when I purchase the wrong product. All expected and appreciated.
Recently I upgraded to Mavericks as well as updating my apps to take advantage of the new OS. 1Password was upgraded. It worked fine but there were some syncing issues based on my error way back. The crew at Agliebits support spent a week patiently trouble shooting it with me. Their emails were clear and supportive. I had a problem they accepted it and not once made me feel like an idiot. (Hold your tongue.) It was fixed and I thanked them. The tech person helping me asked me to review the product on iTunes etc. I declined since I see those reviews as half shills hocking a product or people complaining.
I have no problem with being asked to review. It’s not an automated request you get with free apps it was an employee to a customer with sincere respect. And that is what is key. When you buy an app or product you expect it to work and we forget that behind a product is a corporate culture. I may be pollyanna today but with the products I buy I expect respect and support. This is nothing that doesn’t happen a 1,000 times a day with all levels of products, services, markets, etc. But when it happens, which is infrequently, it reminds us of what my mother said “You get what you pay for.” I paid to have a product solve a problem. I got that as well as people to help solve problems during the life of the product. I have the stupidest, most complex and over 500 passwords hopefully safe (thank you Target). And with those passwords I have a team. Nice change from trying to call Dell wouldn’t you agree.
And now back to healthcare. This real world example should occur in healthcare and patient engagement with the HCP. It does to a point we get a Rx and care but can patient engagement become HCP@support.com?