Task Environment for Health

Andrew Koenen

Task Environment

While United Health Group has millions of customers all around the world, they maintain they hold a personal interaction with each patient. Because of their ability to maintain this one-to-one relationship with each patient, they are able to attract an exponential amount of patients. In order to maintain their customer relationships, they have to endure numerous creative tactics. However, these tactics do come with numerous different risks that can either create a better situation, or ruin the company.

One tactic United Health Group maintains their customer relations is through the media and commercials. Through being able to incorporate diversity in their commercials, people feel they are able to be accepted not based on race or culture. In addition, they are able to speak to customers directly in commercials through their understanding or different cultures. An extensive amount of money is placed into the hands of researchers in order for the ability to know what people in different cultures expect in a health care company. Therefore, by placing money into researching for commercials, they are able to maintain outstanding understanding of diversity in the media.

Another tactic United Health Group uses in maintaining beneficial customer relations is through volunteering. A mainstream property of each employee is to volunteer at least two hours each week at the place of their choice. By suggesting for employees to volunteer, United Health Group stays connected to the community. They are able to know hardships and true heroes in the community by which they are a part of. Also, by volunteering, they are able to spread the word of how beneficial United Health Group is through leading by example. If a potential patient in the community sees a United Health Group patient happily volunteering their time in the community, they will be lead to believe the company as a whole cares about the community they are inhabitants of. By having employees volunteer their time, the company is perceived to care for each customer.

Although the use of these tactics is great, they do not come without some risks. One risk of using diversity in the media is the chance of being misinterpreted. If a researcher gives the commercial bad information, the company could be perceived as corrupt because of the lack of knowledge about the different cultures. In addition, if the company screws up the commercial or sends a misinterpreted press release, it could take years to recover from such a disaster. Even something as minor as making squinty eyes in a commercial can take years to recover a broken reputation. Therefore, although being diverse in a commercial builds relationships, it is crucial o not be misinterpreted and cause years of setbacks.

Another risk involves the tactic of building customer relationships through volunteering. For example,