When I was in private practice providing healthcare services to my patients, one of the main reasons I was very successful was because I put my clients’ (patients’) feelings first — in other words, one of my primary goals was to offer “outrageous” customer service in more ways than simply providing services or products that met the customers’ needs. After all, as I have stressed in several of my previous articles, it’s the CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP that counts; sales then come in spite of themselves. This outrageous service principle applies to every business, not just healthcare.
What is Service?
The following are definitions of Service as it applies to this article:
- To spend time with, meet the needs of, and satisfy.[1]
- Contribution to the welfare of others.[2]
- Work done by one person or group that benefits another[3]
Therefore, in addition to treating customers with expertise, dignity, and compassion, you need to add something to the service you provide; you need to “go the extra mile”.
When I was in private practice providing healthcare services to my patients, one of the main reasons I was very successful was because I put my clients’ (patients’) feelings first — in other words, one of my primary goals was to offer “outrageous” customer service in more ways than simply providing services or products that met the customers’ needs. After all, as I have stressed in several of my previous articles, it’s the CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP that counts; sales then come in spite of themselves. This outrageous service principle applies to every business, not just healthcare.
What can you do to put yourself above other businesses – try something other business owners rarely do? One way to provide outrageous service is to show how much you care by calling customers after you provide and sell a product or service to them.
For example, each day, my staff provided me with a list of names with phone numbers of all of the patients who saw me for emergencies, who had treatment that might raise questions or might result in discomfort, had been given anesthetic for any reason, no matter how minor, etc. When I was home, in the evening after I had dinner, I called every person on that list and asked to personally speak to the individual. Even if the patient was six years old, I asked the parents if I could speak to the child to check. I asked if they were doing okay and if they had any questions. Each phone call lasted less than three minutes, but the results were phenomenal. Not only were my clients (and especially the parents) ecstatic that the “busy doctor” took time out of his personal life to call, but they told their friends about my outrageous caring. What a business builder. Having my receptionist call the next day during business hours was not good enough; the call had to come at a time shortly after the appointment and during hours that demonstrated I was taking time off from my non-working hours to demonstrate my sincere interest in how that person was doing.
Good Habits Pay Off
I don’t care what type of service or product you provide. You can adapt this principle to your business. Think about which of your customers require a little extra care and call them. If you are a business owner who did not directly provide the service or product, have the team member who did make the call. Sometimes, a friendly voice is hydration to a parched and weary soul
Think about this. How many times have you been called by a salesperson who just sold you a car, a refrigerator, a sofa, etc. and asked how that product was working for you and if you were happy or whether have any questions? I’ll bet you those calls have been few and far between. So, you can be the exception. Start now. Call someone. Let them hear your voice. This is the sound of friendship, and it can be a very powerful positive stimulus to the person listening. This is one habit that will really pay off and the small effort will pay off with huge rewards.
The information contained in this article is general in nature and is not legal, tax or financial advice. For information regarding your particular situation, contact an attorney or a tax or financial advisor. The information in this newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, tax or financial advice. In specific cases, clients should consult their legal, accounting, tax or financial advisor. This article is not intended to give advice or to represent our firm as being qualified to give advice in all areas of professional services. To the extent that our firm does not have the expertise required on a particular matter, we will always work closely with you to help you gain access to the resources and professional advice that you need.
Are You Ready to Meet or Exceed Your Goals?
We are here for you. Let us help you succeed in your career!
Learn how you can build and run a sustainable, scalable, profitable, and salable practice.