Non-Verbal Cues of Meal Service

A.C.T.

Apologize, Correct & Take Action

A.C.T. (Apologize, Correct and Take Action) has proven to be successful in many organizations across the United States. It simply teaches employees how to blamelessly apologize, empowers them to correct the deficiency on the spot, and asks them to take action so that the issue doesn’t reoccur.

When a service recovery moment is discovered, stick to the following steps.

apologize

Apologize using a blameless apology. Don’t say “I’m sorry you feel ____.” This will simply elevate the patient’s complaint. Instead, state, “I’m sorry to hear that ____.”

correct

If possible, correct the deficiency immediately. Frontline staff should be empowered to correct minor issues on the spot. For instance, a missing condiment, meal item, utensil or beverage can be addressed rather easily and quickly. If a patient did not receive an item ordered or did not receive a tray, the employees should communicate these missed opportunities to management and involve them in the recovery process.

take action

Document each service recovery opportunity, and keep track of them. Compile a report periodically that details complaint trends, common issues, etc. This will provide you with a great picture of what your patients are experiencing. It is recommended that service opportunities are followed up on within 2 hours of receipt of the complaint. We are only as good as our last meal and we must ensure that the same concern doesn’t arise during the next meal period.

At some Children’s Hospitals, we provide some immediate atonement items for the children if an issue does occur. This does not correct the issue but may put a smile on the child’s face and provide a sense of caring from our team. Even if the complaint is from the parent/guardian/friend/family, the gesture of a gift of atonement for the patient or children in the room may offer a gesture of empathy toward the situation.

Examples of atonement items can be seen on the previous page.

Meal Service satisfaction scripting

If the facility suggests scripting format/guidelines, we should adhere to it. It’s important that you tailor your facility’s scripting format to fit our department function. The meal service satisfaction scripting is to be used throughout a patient’s stay. Following the initial introduction of the menu and meal ordering process to the child and parent/guardian, the associates are to ensure that they educate on diet restrictions when necessary, manage up the always available options, take proper meal orders, and let the patient/family know when they can expect to enjoy their meal.

The following represents the optional scripting methods that are to be followed if there is no facility standard:

[Enter the room] Acknowledge the parent/guardian when you enter the room either through a gesture or a “hello.”

Address the child if of age to understand: Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is _________, and I am with Food and Nutrition Services. I am here to discuss our fun menu with you and discuss the food options that are always available to you. My job is to ensure that I deliver what you order and that you have fun enjoying some of your favorite foods. I’d love to take your meal and drink order if now is a good time to do that.

Follow-up with the parent/guardian: Your child is on a _________diet. He/she is able to enjoy (outline key items within diet). Are there any preferences or restrictions that you’d like me to note before I take (child’s name) order?

Be sure to follow proper Morrison Healthcare standards following patient identifiers and checking in with nursing regarding potential diet changes and/or updates. Also, be sure scripting is CMS compliant. To view scripting guidelines, look on the MyCompass intranet resource page, or reach out to the Patient Experience Team for clarification of CMS rules.