Appearances can be deceptive, and the old saying goes that you should not judge a book by its cover. However, when it comes to uniforms, how your staff appear is part of your organisation’s identity, and how you communicate that identity to your customers.
What Does Your Uniform Say?
Not all scrubs are equal. And if you approach the idea of medical uniforms thinking this then you are seriously underestimating the impression that a good, or bad, uniform can leave with a patient.
The fictional concept of a dishevelled surgical genius might make for good TV or a memorable night at the cinema, but the reality would be to undermine the patient’s confidence in the professionals treating them.
Scrubs are not mere overalls. They need not be a shapeless, anonymous garment. They can, in fact, confer a variety of characteristics on the wearer, from friendly approachability to tight efficiency. And, critically, it is these characteristics the patient picks up on, along with the individual professional’s bedside manner.
Attention to Detail
The small things matter. Imagine being a patient and having the time to contemplate your surroundings. You might be doing a fair bit of waiting. So, you will start to notice everything around you that is unfamiliar – the furnishings, the equipment, and the people.
“What does an untidy-looking uniform say?” asks Joanne Hunt of Pastelli UK. “It says the same thing as litter or an empty, discarded coffee cup that has not been cleared away. If a patient, your customer, thinks certain things are a result of corner-cutting, or failure to pay attention, how will this feed into their overall view of their treatment?”
Looking after your customers is about conveying professionalism all the time, at all levels. The outward impression is important. Staff uniforms can do an awful lot to enhance this.
If a member of staff is wearing a uniform that does not fit them properly it diminishes them in the eyes of patients, and it diminishes the organisation employing them, because it suggests a lack of care. It is then not a great leap to make to extrapolate this lack of care as applying beyond the staff to the patients themselves.
In other words, a bad impression is contagious.
The best way to fight this contagion is to prevent it happening in the first place – by choosing high quality, well-fitting uniforms for staff.
“If you’re serious about patient satisfaction, then you should be serious about staff uniforms. We have a range of styles covering a variety of sectors, from medical and dental to veterinary. We believe that modern, stylish, durable and functional uniforms are vital in creating the right impression.”