In today’s highly competitive market, there is a significant focus on acquiring new patients. While this approach is not wrong, it often unfortunately leads to neglecting the planning of actions aimed at satisfying the existing patients of each clinic. In this article, we have gathered some key points that require your attention and affect both the acquisition of new patients and the retention and satisfaction of the existing ones.
See below the areas that each clinic will need to focus on:
1. Training and operational standardization for the Reception/ the Call Center/ the Customer Service Personnel.
We often encounter problems such as poor and incorrect communication, lack of knowledge about the offered services, inappropriate attitude, and unsuitable language used by the “frontline” personnel. The first impression is crucial for every patient and will largely shape their perception of your clinic. Invest in the proper training of your staff and create a positive first impression for your patients.
2. Clinic Spaces, Atmosphere, and Patient Service.
Cleanliness, lighting, scent, directional signs, the availability of benerages, and informative materials in the waiting area are essential for ensuring a pleasant experience during a patient’s visit.
3. Timeliness of Product/Information/Service Delivery.
It is quite unpleasant for a patient (new or returning) to get involved in situations such as:
• Waiting for instructions/answers without knowing what to expect.
• Staying in front of the reception for long without receiving the answers they seek.
• Being placed on hold unexpectedly on the phone.
• Waiting for days for an email reply.
Such situations stress the importance of timely delivered products, services, and information in today’s world. Nobody wants to wait, and nobody wants to waste their time. Therefore, invest in optimizing and streamlining your services and operations.
4. Delivery of Service/Product/Information.
Whether it’s a tangible product, a service, or simple information, it should always be presented as elegantly as possible, adding extra value and prestige to the final consumer.
5. Patient Satisfaction Surveys.
You should always check if your patients are satisfied with what they have received. Stay in touch with them, update them on your activities, communicate with them clearly, and gain their trust. This is the only way to make them return to your clinic and become ambassadors of your services. Use methods for measuring their satisfaction, such as surveys, questionnaires, or even face-to-face interaction.
6. Business Performance Analysis.
How can you truly know how productive you were if you can’t have specific results to help you measure sales, staff growth, or the success of your marketing campaigns? Use a well-designed tool that generates frequent reports based on as many criteria as possible. This way, you can make informed decisions about how and where to invest for the growth of your clinic.
7. Real-time Social Media Interaction.
Whether you’ve assigned a marketing company to manage your online presence or handle it internally, it’s essential to respond promptly to messages and comments from potential patients. Failing to do so can undermine the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Invest in the internal training of your staff or outsource this critical activity.
By addressing the above areas and implementing the right strategies, we can not only attract new patients but also maintain and satisfy existing ones, ultimately promoting the growth and success of your business.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you implement some of the success ingredients to your practice, we’d be delighted to hear from you to discuss what suits your specific needs. Start with a simple message by clicking here.
Sincerely,
Dimitris
