THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF GREAT SERVICE

Great service to your patients/clients is one of the most important factors required for building a successful practice. During these difficult economic times, health care can become much more of a discretionary purchase than it should be. As health care providers you all know that health care is factually not a discretionary activity, like buying a new TV. At the same time you have to realize that, in your marketing activities, you are dealing with a public that often sees no difference in their purchasing choices between buying that new TV, or new clothes and their need to purchase the needed health care service. What we have found is that if patients experience superior service and are properly educated they will make the proper health care decision and understand the priorities of their health versus the new TV. Below are four key components of good service that, if applied, will help you get and retain new patients and clients.

Under the heading of great service, you will find the following key components: convenience, communication, cost and quality, and importance of your service as perceived by the patient/client.

CONVENIENCE: Consider the location of your practice. People generally select a service based on how convenient it will be for them to get to the location. Surveys and studies show that well over half of the public selects their health care services because of a conveniently located facility.

Are your hours structured to meet the needs of your patients/clients? Most people operate on a very hectic schedule and will actively seek out those practices that offer convenient or flexible hours. Practices that really work at ways to make it more convenient for their patients/clients to use their services will surely reap the rewards for their efforts.

COMMUNICATION: Words are not the only way in which communication occurs. Appearances and actions weigh equally as important in conveying an idea or concept to your patients/clients. Look at your staff, building, reception area, signs, business cards, letters, etc. What do these communicate to the public?

Decide exactly what it is that you wish to communicate to your patients/clients and prospective patients/clients. Then convey that in not only verbal communication, but in all of the above categories as well. Teach your staff to do the same.

COST AND QUALITY: The cost of your services is directly related to the quality of service that you deliver to your patients/clients. Your patients/clients will never feel that your fees are too high (or even really think about it for that matter), if they perceive the quality of service to be valuable. If you provide inferior or slow service, it will almost automatically make your fees appear to be too high. Again, patients/clients will take into account the amount of time they had to wait, the appearance of staff and facility and the demeanor of those servicing them.

Communication ties in with this area. Ensure that your patients/clients know what you are doing. Talk to them during the examination and explain what you are doing and why. This impacts the patient/client's impression of the fairness of your fees. Clear and professional communication with your patients/clients helps to ensure that they go away feeling satisfied that they have received excellent value for what they paid.

IMPORTANCE: Although you may perform valuable services, it is most important that the patient/client perceives how important the service is. This presents you with a "marketing" challenge. A large percentage of the population does not visit their doctors often enough.

This only indicates that the importance of regular exams has not been conveyed effectively to the public at large (or even to some of your patients/clients).

National health educational campaigns are designed to increase the public's perception about health and the importance of regularly visiting all of their family doctors. You cannot, however, rely solely on that type of campaign alone. It is vital that you take every opportunity to provide education to your patients/clients and to raise their "IQ" in the area of good health. The more they know, the more likely they are to use and appreciate your services and to tell others about you.

Provide a variety of brochures, put out a monthly newsletter, create your own handouts. Train your staff to educate the patients/clients. Maintain awareness in the practice that an educated patient/client is a more compliant patient/client and one who is much more likely to refer new people to your practice.

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Larry Silver
President Silkin

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