Over the years, I have visited hundreds of chiropractic offices in my journeys. And although there are a plethora of factors to running a successful chiropractic practice, much of the success—or mistakes—occur at the very front end of the practice—at the "first impression" phase, if you will. The following attempts to address the various forms of "first impressions" should be considered when a practitioner manages his or her practice. Curb Appeal Unless you are ready for a big change or move, "you are what you are" when it comes to what building you are currently in, but there are some minor alterations and/or improvements for consideration. For instance, signage. I know a lot of DCs main sign simply reads, "Chiropractor." It's simple, to the point and may be appropriate for the space. The theory is that if you try to say too much in your main sign then people won't absorb the main message you are trying to communicate with them. For instance, if your sign reads, "Jones Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center and Massage" it could be a case of trying to say too much in a limited space. It all depends on how much space you have, how many other businesses are in the same complex, and so on. Like many things, your message and signage should represent who you are. However, here are just a few things to keep in mind: 1 What is the "feel" you get from your main sign? Is it professional in nature? Does the font of the letters match the core philosophy of your practice? 2. What colors work best? White background, black letters? Blue letters? Red? 3. What message is your sign sending? What does it "say"? It should carry the aura of "This is a world-class health care facility!" Other factors on curb appeal—that you may find obvious—are cleanliness and lawn and plant maintenance. Even if you share your building with other businesses, ensure that the front entrance is edged, always mowed, has fresh mulch, and so. You probably don't handle these factors yourself; regardless, make sure that as patients approach your front door that everything looks tight. If your landlord handles this area, ensure that he is on top of it, as it will impact your business. The bottom line is that as patients approach, you present an atmosphere of "having it all together." The Door Again, you may not personally manage this area, but your door itself needs to be modern, clean, fairly new and not too hard to open. Oftentimes, commercial doors are exceedingly difficult to open. When you consider who is entering your facility (depending on your type of practice) many of you will have people showing up in poor condition, obviously; having a door that's as hard to open as Fort Knox is probably not the best idea. Imagine an elderly lady, who just injured her back, having to play tug of war with your front door. Not good. Also, what should the signage read on your door? It's possible that your main sign just reads "Chiropractor," so your door gives you the opportunity to go into more detail. Maybe that is where you entire practice's actual name should be displayed. "Jones Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center." Your front door is the "business card" that introduces your practice. The Uh-Huh Moment So, here you are: The patient—or potential patient—has opened your door. Your signage and curb appeal have started to form an opinion, albeit, not the most critical one up to this point, but the moment they open that door and enter the building is what you may call "brass tacks." It's where "the rubber meets the road." The patient enters the building; what happens next is decisive. Bordering on stating the obvious, again, you want your reception room to appear professional, neat, modern, pleasant and clearly being of a health care nature. We are all different. If you, yourself, just don't possess the talent to create such an atmosphere, hire someone who does. And if you aren't sure if you personally have it in you to evaluate howyour reception atmosphere grades, get some opinions; simply survey as many different patients as possible for the next week on a scale from 1-10 on how they like the look of your reception area and how professional and warm-hearted they feel your staff are. You can't afford guesswork here. You may wantto hire a group that specializes in creating the most positive office space. They don't have to be pricey and because this is a "make or break" area, you don't want to risk falling down here. The Greeting Means Everything This really sets the tone. One pet peeve I have with many practices is that they have the receptionist behind a sliding glass door. There is nothing more impersonal or cold than having that structure. A sliding glass door is a way of saying, "You are on my rules. We will dictate the procedure to you. We are in command." That environment may be preferable in some businesses, but not in a world-class healthcare practice. Not only should the receptionist/CA not be behind glass instead, the greeting should be an eye-to-eye event, and include a warm handshake (as long as the patient is open to it). And at that point, make sure to say the patient's name, morethan once, if appropriate. "Mrs. Smith, it's so nice to see you today." Perhaps follow up with the use of their proper name with addressing them by their first name. "Sue, can I get you anything? Would you like a cool glass of water?" Professional Over Warm? Some practitioners tell me, "Well, my CA isn't very warm or friendly, but she is very organized and professional, so I figure that's more important." Sorry. In my view, "That dog won't hunt." You must begin the tone of the visit on a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I believe it is vital. Sure, you will have some patientswho are kind of grumpy and may not appreciate the effort to be friendly, but, by in large, setting a positive tone via the warmest of greeting is a difference maker. That initial 20 seconds of human interaction sets the tone for the entire visit. You must create a "feel good" environment to be as successful as possible. If your CA is simply incapable of providing this, you must address the situation. Summary They say you can never make a second first impression, and that most certainly is true when it comes to your practice. Ensure that all factors are optimal: signage, curb appeal, front door, receptionist area and greeting by the receptionist. Your practice won't succeed by the initial experience alone, but it can be derailed by it, so make sure you have this area right and have fun doing it! The Other Critical Beginning: The Phone How your practice handles phone calls is every bit as crucial as how the initial visit is addressed. As a matter of fact, it may be more crucial, in being that if you flub up the phone calls, you won't get that potential patient to walk through your door to begin with. Obviously, if you never get them to visit, you have lost an opportunity to play an active role in helping that new patient. Here are some factors to consider in answering phone calls. 1. Answer with a smile. It may sound old fashioned and corny, but if your receptionist isn't answering the phone with a smile, the tone of the call isn't right. And, yes, the smile should be genuine or it won't cut it. But with the understanding of answering with a smile, the tone usually will be understood and successfully achieved. 2. Brief, professional greeting. I know some practices like to slip in a "fun" manner of taking a call. But people are busy. They might not be in the mood to hear an extra few seconds of greeting. I know some may use a greeting like, "It's a marvelous Monday at Smith's Family Chiropractic and Wellness. My name is Julie. How can I help you today?" I get that such a greeting seems like you are putting in an extra effort, and could be appreciated. But, you are most likely better off with a "Smith Chiropractic, this is Julie." I may be nitpicking here but it's food for thought. 3. Always have a pen (or keyboard) in hand. Once again, everyone is busy. You should never have to say to a caller, "Hold on, I need to find something to write with." That is loco. You must always be ready to write down (or type) information without the caller having to wait. Along those same lines, always have the schedule at hand, so the caller doesn't have to wait around as the CA fumbles around with a calendar, or anything else. Any time you make a patient wait is an instance of you sending the message: "We don't respect you or your time." That may sound harsh, but that is the emotion you are creating. 4. With the above being said, never make the caller feel like you are pushing them off a call. One factor you will notice in professionally run offices is that when the customer finally is waited on—whether it's at an airport terminal, hotel, rental car desk, or elsewhere—the customer is fully taken care of and not rushed off. Never set a tone where the caller feels that you rushed them off. I know I also said to be very aware of not spending unneeded time with the patient, but both extremes should be avoided. You can achieve both; they are not mutually exclusive. Dr. Steven Peyroux is the founder of Physicians Business Solutions (PBS). He has successfully integrated more than 500 clinics and has been lecturing, coaching and teaching an integrated practice model for over 15 years. Contact him with questions and comments at 1-800-908-8895 or visit www.pbs500.com for more information.
