As a business, you have to work hard to not only gain customers but to make them feel welcome and coming back. Just like with running any type of business, when running a practice your patients are the number one concern. There is nothing more important than making them feel less stressed and comfortable.
Pay Attention to Every Room Equality
The first thing that your patience has experience with is your practice and then they will meet you. The first impression that they will have is based on the look and feel of your practice. Because of that, you will need to make sure that the space is well-designed and that there are patient-firefly websites where they can learn about your practice beforehand. Not only does your practice and waiting room need to be appealing, but it needs to be comfortable and clean. But that doesn’t mean that you should forget about your exam room. Your whole practice needs to be engaging and comfortable for your patients.
Distinguish Your Practice
It is important that you and your staff make your patients always feel special. The best way to do it is by making sure that everyone gets their follow-up call, a warm welcome when they come in. To be different from your normal practice provides things like thank-you notes if patients refer you, recordings of the appointment and their treatment plans. It is important that you and your whole staff realise that great experience will only be possible if there are organisation and a team effort. One practice needs to have a good leader on top, staff that is monitored and re-enforced as well thought out organisation. Make sure that all the staff understand the importance of customer service, train them to be kind, respectful and to express gratitude.
Address Your Patients by Their Names
Instead of addressing your patients by saying ma’am make sure that you address them by their name or last name, that way they will know that you care about how they feel. Your patients will not expect that because they are just not used to it. It will make them feel welcome and more comfortable.
Stay On Schedule
There is nothing more important than being on time and making it the top priority. If you or your staff is running late or an appointment is a bit longer than expected, it is important that other patients are aware that their appointment is moved.
Care for All Their Senses
It is important that your patients are comfortable when they visit your practice. Provide them with an option to listen to music, watch TV or look at amazing artwork. Another great thing that will calm people is plants in the waiting rooms. Make things fun and upbeat by having floor finishes for walls that are usual for practices. Try to make your practice looking less like one while still being sanitary. If you simply can’t figure that out on your own there are many companies like Konnect Health which will help you create an amazing balance between comfort and professionality.
Make sure that The Environment is Positive
Another important thing that will dictate your patients’ experiences is how positive your employees are. If they are happy and they feel valued they will treat your patients the same way. It’s important that you create an environment where everyone feels comfortable.
Treat Your Patient’s like you would like to Be Treated
Make sure that all your employees are treated nicely and that they treat the patients just how they would like to be treated when they come to the practice. Show the patients that you are thankful that they chose to come to your practice and that you are excited to see them. Keep reminding your staff to smile, make eye contact and be polite to everyone.
Offer Reassurance
Maybe one of your patients just received a bad diagnosis and they are overwhelmed and have a ton of questions about their diagnosis. They can feel very lonely and scared. Do your best to take a minute and acknowledge their feelings to reassure them that they are not alone in this.
Don’t Promise Things You Can’t Deliver
Let’s be honest, all of us have gone to at least one doctor’s appointment where they told us the results will be there tomorrow and that wasn’t the case. That only makes your parents frustrated especially if they are waiting for really important results. But if you tell them that they will be in 10 days and they get them back in 10 days they will be happy. There is nothing that will make your practice lose patients than things being promised and not coming true.
The key to creating a “WOW” experience for your patients is simply by putting yourself in their shoes and asking yourself how you would feel at that moment. No effort will go unnoticed and every good deed or idea will be appreciated by your patients.
