Most providers think that patient’s satisfaction is based solely on the treatment they receive, and frankly that’s not necessarily true. Take a moment to really think about your patient and his experience in your office. What makes a patient satisfied with your service? What makes a patient refer?
You must consider the “experience” from beginning to end if you really want to maximize the referral potential of a patient.
The beginning…
Did the patient have to leave a message, OR did someone pick up the phone? Did they get put on hold? Did they get a call back right away OR 2 days later? Are your new patients greeted by name, such as “You must be Ms. X, we’ve been looking forward to seeing you.” OR Do they just sign their name on the list and get handed a clip board?
My personal favorite – Do you give the patient pages to fill out that contains duplicate questions OR information that is NOT PERTINENT to their condition. Think about HOW LONG it takes to fill out this information.
The middle …
You do a superb job, an excellent examination; give the patient a through understanding of how you practice and what they can expect, a treatment that leaves them feeling better.
The end…
Does the office know how much to collect from the patient? Was the patient informed of the costs in advance? Is he offered handout materials? If your patient has questions about his insurance, does he get satisfactory answers? If he has a limited number of visits under his insurance, is he told how many visits are remaining?
Each office is different, in size and staff. Consider this: In business the rule is: It is 6-7 times more costly to acquire new customers than maintain existing ones. The same is true for patients. You want lifetime patients. You want patients that refer new patients. You want those patients to be lifetime patients that refer new patients…
There is NO doubt that your treatment is why the patient is in your office, but if you want to keep him coming back, if you want him to refer, remember the beginning and ending of the experience, because you can be sure he will.