For healthcare brands, the journey to exceptional patient experience starts with people who listen, respond and truly understand the patient’s story. And while telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics and smart medical devices are transforming how care is delivered, it’s the compassionate and well-coached voices behind every interaction that build trust and lasting loyalty.
A key report on coaching tech in customer service found that “effective coaching of new and tenured employees has a positive impact on employee engagement, including reducing the risk of attrition.” But how do you coach for compassion and balance empathy with innovation?
Why compassion and ownership are critical in healthcare
Healthcare is deeply personal. Every call, chat or email often comes at a vulnerable moment… when patients or caregivers seek reassurance, answers or help with critical issues. Unlike transactional retail experiences, healthcare interactions shape not just satisfaction, but emotional wellbeing and, at times, clinical outcomes. In this industry, it is critical to give patients and their families a truly authentic and empathetic service.
And this is where frontline representatives become central to success. Their ability to communicate empathy, take ownership of concerns and resolve issues efficiently defines the brand experience. Patients want to be heard, understood and cared for.
However, consistently achieving high-level human interactions — especially in global, multilingual, omnichannel environments — requires more than natural empathy. It calls for structured, data-driven coaching designed to elevate the human element and align every agent’s performance with patient needs and your organization’s brand promise.
Real-world example of coaching with purpose: The power of targeted interactions
A leading global healthcare client recently faced this very challenge, especially as new, more ambitious NPS targets were set. Despite strong service track records, and a robust infrastructure spanning multiple countries and languages, leadership recognized that even incremental gains in agent performance could yield significant results for patients and brand loyalty.
So, what was the approach? Precision coaching.
By leveraging advanced text, speech and interaction analytics, specific agent behaviors directly tied to patient satisfaction were identified, especially empathy, ownership and hold etiquette. Rather than broad-based training, the team implemented a hyper-focused 60-day coaching initiative. Agents were grouped by performance tiers, with targeted interventions dedicated to elevating low performers to mid-level, and mid-level to top tier.
The results:
- 15,000 coaching interactions executed in just 60 days
- Average empathy score rose by 5 points
- Ownership performance improved by 7 points
- Hold etiquette increased by 3 points
- NPS soared from 67 to 80 (+13 points)
This targeted strategy unlocked a measurable competitive edge. Every coaching touchpoint was built around scenarios common to healthcare — listening to patient anxieties, resolving complex insurance queries and patiently guiding nervous callers. Ongoing scorecard reviews and feedback reinforced a cycle of continuous improvement, helping agents learn from real interactions and track their progress.
Empathy + expertise: The true value proposition
Technological innovation will always have a place in modern healthcare, but as this case study demonstrates, the ultimate differentiator lies in blending expertise with genuine empathy. This understanding can truly be your competitive advantage, as 91% of CX professionals believe customer empathy is necessary to define and implement CX improvements, but only 36% say their organization treats empathy as a necessity.
Automated self-service tools efficiently handle routine tasks, but when patients need guidance, reassurance, or a compassionate ear, only well-coached, empowered agents can fulfill those needs.
For healthcare brands, real value is created when two elements align:
- Intelligent analytics and omnichannel platforms surface actionable insights, segmenting patient needs and predicting where the human touch will have an impact.
- Targeted coaching then transforms those insights into everyday practice, enabling agents to respond with the empathy, clarity and ownership that patients remember.
Building a culture where people come first
Perhaps the most enduring lesson is that a culture of coaching raises scores and sustains them. In an industry where stakes are high and pressure is constant, ongoing investment in agent development prevents burnout and ensures evolving patient expectations are met.
By treating every interaction as an opportunity for empathy and ownership, brands create safer, more trusting experiences for patients and families. Employees, too, feel valued and equipped, further fueling their dedication and consistency.
Human-centered healthcare CX for tomorrow
Healthcare continues to evolve, but trust and compassion will always be the foundation. With structured, metrics-driven coaching at scale — and a commitment to nurturing the skills that technology cannot replicate — healthcare brands can achieve more than just high NPS scores. They build meaningful patient relationships and a reputation for care that stands out in an increasingly competitive world.
Learn more about brands that have combined people, technology and data for CX success.