Top Takeaways:

- Some businesses such as a healthcare practice or provider, do not have a product that the customer touches. Instead, it’s all about selling the entire service experience to their customer.

- Remember to manage the Moments of Truth: any time a customer comes into contact with any part of your business they have the opportunity to form an impression.

- Words are very powerful in shaping the perception of the customer experience. For example, the waiting room in a doctor’s office could be renamed as the reception area, implying a different experience from just waiting in a room.

- If your customers are experiencing long wait times or complex systems when trying to call your business, it may be time to hire more help or invest in technology to reduce those hold times or phone trees.

- Creating a positive customer experience increases the likelihood that your customers will tell others of their experience with you, ultimately making you feel more fulfilled with your work to create that experience.

- Dr. Baum’s 10 Personal Promises to His Patients:

1. We will answer the phone in less than 3 rings.

2. A human, not an answering machine, will speak with you and make your appointment or take your questions.

3. We can usually make an appointment to see you on the same day that you call or the very next day.

4. If you call for the doctor and the doctor is not available, we will call you back the same day and we will tell you what time that call is going to take place.

5. We use an electronic medical record system to send your prescription to the pharmacy immediately so that the medication will be ready by the time you arrive to pick it up.

6. We will send a letter to your primary care doctor or referring physician while you’re still in the exam room that lists your diagnosis, the medications you’ve been prescribed and the treatment plan we’ve outlined for you.

7. We’ll provide you with educational materials on your condition, including articles written by Dr. Baum.

8. You can communicate with me or one of my staff via email and I will answer you usually within the same day.

9. We have a very energetic, enthusiastic and smiling staff who will help exceed your expectations regarding your visit to our office.

10. We will make your visit almost magical.

Quote:

“The customer experience begins with the patient, or customer, the moment you start any sort of interaction.”

About:

Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School, has written over 300 peer-reviewed articles and 10 books on marketing, communications between doctors and patients, as well as publications on men and women’s healthcare issues. Dr. Baum is the also author of The Business Basics to Building and Managing a Healthcare Practice which was published in 2019.

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