Operations - Service Excellence

Apollo Hospitals; Chennai District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Apollo Hospitals in Chennai is seeking a Service Excellence Manager to design, implement, and monitor patient experience initiatives across clinical and support functions.

The role drives service standards, training, and KPI reporting to elevate quality, empathy, and operational excellence in patient journeys. Collaboration with Nursing, Front Office, Billing, IT, and Facilities is essential to resolve systemic issues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Hospital Administration, Healthcare Management, Hospitality Management, or related field (MHA/MBA preferred).
• 5–10 years in hospital operations, patient experience, or hospitality/service industry with 2–3 years in a similar role.
• Prior NABH/JCI accreditation experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement patient experience frameworks and surveys.
• Monitor feedback, handle complaints, and drive root-cause analysis within defined TAT.
• Develop and standardize service SOPs across departments (front office, nursing, billing, diagnostics, F&B, housekeeping).
• Deliver soft skills and service etiquette training for staff; onboarding modules for new hires.
• Track NPS, PSAT, and other KPIs; conduct audits and present dashboards to leadership.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with Nursing, Medical, Front Office, IT, and Facilities teams; liaison with Marketing.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Conflict resolution

Data-driven quality metrics

Excellent communication

Crisis management

MS Office / hospital MIS / CRM tools

Education

Bachelor's/Master's degree in Hospital Administration or related field (MHA/MBA preferred)

Tools

MS Office / hospital MIS / CRM tools

Job description

Position Summary

The Service Excellence Manager is responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring initiatives that elevate patient experience, staff service behavior, and overall care delivery standards across the hospital. The role bridges clinical, administrative, and support functions to ensure every patient touchpoint reflects the hospital's commitment to quality, empathy, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Patient Experience Management

• Design and implement patient experience frameworks (e.g., HCAHPS-style surveys, NABH patient satisfaction standards)
• Monitor patient feedback, complaints, and grievances; drive root-cause analysis and closure within defined TAT
• Conduct regular ward/OPD rounds to identify service gaps and patient concerns in real time

2. Service Standards & SOPs

• Develop and standardize Service Excellence protocols across departments (front office, nursing, billing, diagnostics, F&B, housekeeping)
• Ensure adherence to NABH/JCI patient-centric care standards
• Create and update SOPs for patient handling, complaint resolution, and service recovery

3. Training & Capability Building

• Design and deliver soft skills, communication, and service etiquette training for clinical and non-clinical staff
• Conduct onboarding modules on service culture for new hires
• Build a culture of empathy, ownership, and responsiveness across the organization

4. Metrics, Audits & Reporting

• Track and report Net Promoter Score (NPS), Patient Satisfaction Score (PSAT), complaint resolution TAT, and other service KPIs
• Conduct mystery patient audits and department-wise service audits
• Present monthly/quarterly dashboards to leadership with actionable insights

5. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with Nursing, Medical, Front Office, Billing, IT, and Facilities teams to resolve systemic service issues
• Partner with Marketing/PR on reputation management (online reviews, Google ratings, patient testimonials)
• Liaise with insurance/TPA desks to ensure smooth patient journeys on the financial side

6. Complaint & Grievance Management

• Own the end-to-end patient grievance redressal system
• Personally handle escalated or sensitive complaints (VIP patients, adverse events, high-severity cases)
• Ensure service recovery protocols are followed to rebuild patient trust

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Hospital Administration, Healthcare Management, Hospitality Management, or related field (MHA/MBA preferred)
• 510 years of experience in hospital operations, patient experience, or hospitality/service industry, with at least 2–3 years in a similar role
• Prior experience in NABH/JCI accredited hospitals preferred

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills
• Data-driven approach to service quality (comfortable with dashboards, CSAT/NPS tracking)
• Excellent communication (verbal and written); multilingual ability is a plus in diverse patient populations
• Crisis management and composure under pressure
• Working knowledge of hospital accreditation standards (NABH, JCI, NABL where relevant)
• Proficiency in MS Office / hospital MIS or CRM tools