Why am I writing about the British retailer Marks and Spencer, affectionately known as Marks and Sparks, in a blog about care?dle.
Firstly, their attitude towards customer care and quality standards is something we can all learn from and aspire to but also more poignantly this is the anniversary of the unexpected death of one of our colleagues Lydia who passed away at home; and before working in our GP surgery had worked for many years at Marks and Sparks.
The eulogy at her funeral was poignant but also uplifting. Besides her own personal qualities, it was evident that the training and experience she had at Marks stood her in good stead when she was in reception. GP receptionists are one of the most vilified people in the NHS because of the perception that they are the “dragons at the gate” who are guarding access to that most precious of things…a GP appointment. Still, Lydia managed to do this with panache and compassion and always spoke on behalf of the patients with us when appointments had run out. This prompted me to read more about M&S, their culture, and whether this could be replicated in the NHS or social care sector. The one axiom M&S had was “The customer is always and completely right”, but they also pioneered a smoking ban in their stores in 1959, albeit this was more for store safety rather than health. One of our patients was a colleague of Lydia’s at Marks, and she affirmed all this and said customer care and support were always paramount, and clearly, Lydia carried this forward in her NHS role.
One of the things expected at Marks was when a customer had a query about the whereabouts of a product, the staff would take them to it rather than give them directions as to where to find it (see the article by Adele Barbaro on Facebook.com/TheRealMumma/). This type of behaviour is becoming vanishingly rare as things become more automated, and my concern is knowing how many of our older or isolated patients use supermarkets and shops as a means to have human interaction and being “unable” to self-scan or order online may have less to do with digital aptitude and more to do with wanting to speak to someone. For some, this might be the only time they would have this opportunity in a week, let alone a day. One might ask if supermarkets should accommodate this, and if the answer is based on profits, then these types of customers are slowing down the quick sale of goods, so they should be directed elsewhere. However, the rise of these same supermarkets is a major reason for the loss of local shops where owners and customers knew each other and were part of a community. Sadly, we are quickly forgetting the lessons we learned during the Covid lockdowns about the joy and importance of being able to meet each other and talk without having to assess risks and check our Covid status and the vulnerability of those we wanted to see.
We can’t neglect our own responsibility in deciding what kind of communities we want to live in as they are shaped by the choices we make and whether we prioritise people over profit or vice versa.
I hope that the way people like Lydia lived their lives would inspire us to follow in her footsteps and not simply lament their passing away. All of us who knew Lydia were well aware she would not suffer fools gladly and was always a “can-do” person, and if she was reading this now, she would say. “Come on Sid, stop moping and let’s get to work!” Bless you, Lydia, and let’s get to work inshallah.
