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Dear Friends,
As the year comes to a close, we want to express our thanks for our relationship with you and we value the trust you have placed in us. We promise to do our very best in the coming year to provide you with relevant, helpful information that will help you improve your practice and your relationships.
This month, we discuss how best to find out what your patients think of you, your team and your practice. How do you approach this and what are the best options? In the article No Thanks to Secret Shoppers, we will investigate the secret shopper approach. In Survey Says...we review the best way to survey your patients for honest feedback.
We also want to remind you to take a moment and review the many learning resources on our web site. As our gift to you, purchase any off-the-shelf program during the month of December and receive 20% off. This includes all audio workshops, books, the Behavioral Learning Starter Kit, Communication Mastery Series and the Wit and Wisdom Reference Library. This special offer is available only on phone-in orders so make your list and call MaryBeth toll free to receive your 20% discount: 800-848-8326.
Click here to review the learning resources
As always, we would love to hear your comments, ideas and suggestions for upcoming newsletters.
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No Thanks to Secret Shoppers
by MaryBeth Head
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While driving down the Interstate last week, I found myself behind a semi tractor trailer that was actually going the speed limit. As I followed behind, I noticed the writing on the back of the truck that said "How's my driving? Call 1-800-XXX-XXXX". There have been a number of times I have called to tattle on a dangerous or less-than-courteous driver. But this time, I considered calling the number and letting them know that this driver was following the rules and doing a good job. I didn't call because it would have required me to get out my cell phone and dial the number while driving, which we all know is a no-no.
Then it occurred to me. How often do we get an unsolicited call from a patient letting us know how well we did? I suspect it doesn't happen as often as we would like. In many cases, patients will express their thanks verbally and in the moment. It is rarely noted in their chart or celebrated by the team. Usually there is no protocol in place to learn from those positive experiences.
But more importantly, what about the patients we have failed? Are we aware of all the situations where patients have become unhappy? Consider these statistics compiled by Washington-based research firm TARP (Technical Assistance Research Programs):
-The average business does not hear from 96 percent of its unhappy customers
-65 percent to 90 percent of your non-complainers will not "buy" from you again
-On average, a customer who has an unpleasant experience with a business will tell about 10 other people
-You can win back 54 percent to 70 percent of these customers simply by resolving their complaints
-As much as 95 percent of this group will become loyal customers again if their complaints are handled well and quickly.
While we all work hard to prevent negative patient experiences, they are likely to occur on occasion. The real questions are, however, how do we find out about them and how do we address or resolve them? Recently we had a client who expressed concern about this. He said, "I'm worried that if a patient has a bad experience in my practice, I won't know about it until they get on the Internet and spread all sorts of negative information about us. Then there's no way for us to defend ourselves." It is valid concern. With the Internet as a tool, vigilante consumers might do some serious damage. Even those who have shared a mildly unpleasant experience can attempt to have a powerful influence over other consumers who are shopping for services.
Read on
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Survey says...
by Sandy Roth
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Now more than ever, we know the value of attracting new patients. We also know that once a patient enters our practice, it costs much less to keep them in our practice. So the goal of keeping patients in the practice makes good business sense to get the best return on your investment. How do we keep patients in the practice? Serve their needs and keep them happy. But how well are we doing? How do we know what to change or improve if we don't have a real handle on what our patients think?
What was their first impression?
What are they saying to others about us?
What is it about our practice that makes them feel comfortable?
What would they change about our practice?
What do they think of our fees?
Why don't some patients ever return?
Sometimes, what patients think never comes out of their mouths, even when you ask them. Sometimes they may tell you one thing but are thinking something entirely different. If it's negative, patients aren't likely to tell you. Unfortunately, you may never know what your practice is doing right, or wrong, unless you find an effective way to ask and provide patients with a comfortable way to respond.
Continue
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Next month's topic:
Altruism and Cause Marketing. What are you doing to help your community and how does it benefit your practice? Please send us your comments and ideas.
Thank you for reading.
Sandy Roth and MaryBeth Head
ProSynergy Dental Communications |
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