A s CAs you are the face of customer service for your office. You may be the first person patients see when they come in or the first person they speak to on the phone to set up an appointment. An important rule to live by is: how you are is as important as what you say. There is power in how you treat others around you in the office: not just how you interact with patients, but with how you interact with other office staff and the chiropractors. Patients will see if you are not getting along or if the relationships in the office seem frosty. Patients will feel "put off" by office staff drama; they want to see you friendly and respectful with each other as well as with patients. Of course, how you treat patients will make a huge impact on how they view your office as a whole. American poet Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Extraordinary practices with attention to detail stand out from the crowd. It is not only the excellent care that your chiropractor provides the patients, but also how the patients feel when they are in your office that keeps them coming back. Surveys say 68 percent of patients will go elsewhere if they think you are indifferent to their needs. Here are three basic patient needs and how you can go the extra mile to make them feel special: Need to Feel Welcome: Greet everyone with a smile, no matter how your day is going. Remember patient names and use them often. Create a haven, leaving your personal issues at the door. Need to Feel Understood: Always listen twice as much as you talk. Know what drives the patients. If they are look ing to get back on the golf course, encourage with words like, "You're looking great Mr. Jones, and you'll be back golfing in no time." Look for the "real why." If they are canceling appointments, find out what is behind that. Is it money issues, unresolved health problems, or something else? Need to Feel Comfort: Place a soft blanket and a fan near your therapy bay so patients can be comfortable. Have taller chairs available for those with dif ficulty sitting. Check back often when your patients are un dergoing therapy to make sure they are still comfortable. Remember that you have the power to make each patient feel special. You can help them have a better day, and that will increase their likelihood of returning as a patient as well as increase the odds they will give a positive referral to friends or family members looking for a chiropractor. The way you treat the patients is a powerful form of marketing for your office. Use the power in your position as CA to make patients feel welcome and comfortable in your office. Your patients will be happier, and your business will benefit. Kathy Mills Chang is a Certified'Medical Compliance Specialist (MCS-P) and, since 1983, has been providing chiropractors with reimbursement and compliance training, advice and tools to improve the financial performance of their practices. Kathy is known as one of our profession s foremost experts on Medicare and can be reached at (855) TK-LWKMC or info@ kmcuniversity. com
