Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Severance Hospital tops industry-wide customer satisfaction for third year straight
A nurse gives a good night sleep pack containing sleep mask and earplugs to a patient at Severance Hospital in Seoul. Courtesy of Severance Hospital
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Massive changes in NCSI mid-table rankings amid sluggish global economy
Severance Hospital has topped the industry-wide National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) rankings for the third consecutive year, according to the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), Tuesday.
The Yonsei University-affiliated hospital stood atop the list with 85 points this year, as it did a year ago. Trailing Severance was Asan Medical Center with 84 points, followed by Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and Korea University Anam Hospital, both with 83 points.
The KPC surveyed 334 companies, including colleges and state-run institutions, in 82 industry sectors this year. The survey scrutinized customer evaluations of products and services. This year's overall customer satisfaction index averaged 78.2 points in 2023, down 0.2 points from last year.
The nonprofit organization said these hospitals’ strong performance in the rankings demonstrates the quality of their customer service.
Severance Hospital, one of the country’s oldest and biggest university hospitals, garnered praise from patients for exceptional medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been recognized for its diverse approaches to meeting the needs of patients and their families.
More broadly, of the 75 industry sectors in the rankings, only 11 showed improvements in ratings from a year earlier, while 40 posted lower scores and 24 remained the same.
“Leading companies are competing more fiercely to secure customers amid the global economic downturn. However, mid- and lower-tier companies are experiencing difficulties in improving their competitiveness," a KPC official said. "The gap between top-tier and remaining companies has widened this year. Low-ranked companies need to come up with long-term customer-centered strategies.”
Of the 40 sectors that were lower on the customer satisfaction index this year, the lodging and restaurant industries were down 1.6 points, or 2 percent, on average — the worst among the sector rankings.
The KPC analyzes the services experienced by participants, including mobile check-in and ordering apps, since the pandemic negatively affected customers’ experiences.
“The NCSI has experienced a certain degree of decline this year,” the official said. “The global economic downturn, coupled with a tight job market and reduced household income, adversely impacted demand, leading to a fall in customer satisfaction indexes.”
The NCSI is a global index involving more than 30 countries around the world, including the U.S. and European countries. The local consultancy said it conducted the survey jointly with the University of Michigan this year.