Great customer service. It’s about people and knowing what they need. It applies to all fields, from the Superhero sector to the medical world.

You’d probably be quick to agree that customer service is, in particular, essential for a doctor (my day job, remember?), but you mightn’t think it so indispensable in the life of a super-hero. Well, frankly, you’d be wrong. We like happy customers too.

But it takes more bedside manners than that to master this job. And it’s doing my work well that brings me satisfaction.

One of the younger members of our family recently had a motor accident. No-one was physically hurt luckily; what was hurt, however, was a bit of pride and the bank balance of this family member (it takes more than a super hero to save you from a several thousand dollar damage bill).

The silver lining to this rather dark cloud came from an unexpected source: the customer service we received from the very well known insurer we consulted. It was second to none.

From the details of the claim being taken by phone from the scene of the accident, to arranging tow-truck, quotes, picking up the car – they were on it. We felt looked after and in good hands.

The panel beaters didn't seem to be happy – their profit margin was said to be lower by working with this insurer. But as customers, we felt enveloped in a system that was well thought through, working with people who knew what they were doing and who did what they said they would do consistently.

The insurer called at each key point, let us know what was going to happen, advised of expectations and provided reasons in advance if there were any problems. The only weak point was the panel beaters, but where there was an issue, the insurer – with superhuman effort – took responsibility for sorting it out every time. I couldn’t have done better myself.

The positive experience will stay with us for many years. We are less likely to change insurers, even if the costs are lower elsewhere. We are more likely to call on this particular company for extra insurance if we need it.

The experience left us with good will. In contrast, claimants in many jurisdictions across the country remain disgruntled and unhappy. Basic issues such as calls not returned, information lost, confusing messages and people repeatedly not doing as they say they will, result in disgruntled claimants who are more likely to be uncooperative.

Over the next few months we are going to spend more time exploring how positive attitudes can be instilled during the training process and the financial burden that results from a less-than-great customer service.

You don’t have to be saving someone’s life (have a mentioned that’s what I do? They don’t call me SuperDoc for nothing) to be concerned about people.

If the people whose cases you’re handling feel well looked after, they’re much more likely to provide you with the positive results that make your job more worthwhile – and reflect better on the work you’re doing.

Until next time friends. (In the meantime, if you’ve got an issue you’d like your in-house SuperDoc to cover, just ask!)

Time to fly!