Customer Service

Get Service Right the First Time

Keep new patients from abandoning your practice with a good first impression.

By Elizabeth Holloway, Clearwater FL

New patients are a necessity for any practice’s survival. Even a well-established practice must be able to attract new patients. The quality of customer service may determine whether new patients decide to return. If new patients have good experiences with staff, they’re more likely to have a positive view of the physician. Conversely, if new patients have an unsatisfactory experience with staff, they will project that negative perception onto the physician.

Because practices only get one chance at making a good first impression, consider implementing some of the following suggestions:

■ Preparation. Before a new patient sets foot in the office, a practice has an opportunity to make the patient feel welcome. A practice should consider providing tools and resources to make a patient’s integration into the practice as seamless as possible.

● Friendly phones. Schedulers should be trained to answer questions, schedule the patient with the appropriate physician and provide the patient with clear expectations for the upcoming visit.

● New Patient Paperwork. Technology allows many practices to access new patient paperwork prior to arrival. Online portals permit patients to enter medical information from home. You can also have patients download new patient forms from the practice’s Web site. Finally, a staff member may call to verify information.

● Flags. Consider developing a system to “flag” new patient charts. This may be as simple as placing a “sticky” note on the chart. Using these flags, staff can be reminded to make a special effort. At the front desk, a patient checking in for the first time may be given the following greeting: “Welcome! We are so glad you have chosen our practice. Let’s see what items we still need to make sure your visit goes smoothly.”

● Special greeting. Welcoming the patient should be repeated by technicians, scribes, physicians, counselors and the checkout counter.

■ Departure. After a patient leaves, a practice can continue to “wow” patients with customer service. These final touches will enable a practice to retain patients for years to come.

● Thank you cards. Practices may consider sending thank you cards to their patients. Thank the patient for choosing the physician and staff to provide quality care.

● Thank you cards to referral sources. If a current patient or a referring physician provides a referral to the practice, send them a thank you card, too. Say how much the referral is appreciated.

● Feedback. Encourage new patients to provide feedback on their experience to determine what improvements can be made.

With proper consideration, each practice can create a unique way to cater to new patients with professionalism and warmth. Patients want to be made to feel special. Start patients off right from the very first visit. OP

Ms. Holloway is the Chief Operations Officer for Eye Site of Tampa Bay in Clearwater, FL. Her current certifications include Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Patient Service Specialist (CPSS).