OPERATIONALIZING CICARE

Outlining brand-consistent communication and service behaviors like those identified in the CICARE model is a substantial first step in communicating the expectations of the leaders. Soliciting a personal commitment from employees further personalizes those expectations and mobilizes staff members in the direction of desired actions. Unfortunately, for many businesses, the behaviors just mentioned reflect the totality of service-enhancing strategies. At UCLA, however, those steps are just the beginning of a very involved process that includes talent selection, training, managerial oversight, and coaching.

SELECTING CARING STAFF

Mark Speare, senior associate director, Patient Relations, Marketing and Human Resources, was instrumental in championing the importance of systematically selecting for service talent and defining “talent” in the context of an individual’s ability to excel when presented with training. Mark notes, “Service talent can be compared with athletic ability. If two individuals are offered the same skill training and one of the individuals has far more natural athletic talent, the talented individual will advance much faster and farther as a result of the training. In our case at UCLA, we are looking for talented people who naturally go the extra mile in truly caring about those they serve and the quality of their everyday work.” Like many other g....