By Amir Khoshnevis, OD
A few years ago, I had the great fortune of becoming friends with a real Southern gentleman; an optometrist from Georgia who almost always sounds like he is preaching from the pulpit.No matter the occasion, his cadence and tone seem to elicit an uncontrollable “amen!” from the listener.Well, when I started thinking about this topic, I recalled one of his great sermons, I mean lectures, where he brilliantly delivered the topfour reasons why people leave us. I’ll attempt to channelDr.Mike Rothschild for the ROB readers. To accomplish this, I’ll ask that you please read the following sentences with an abundance of Southern swag and an overt annunciation of P’s andT’s.
JD Powers and Associates has found four reasons why patients leave a business, and our practice is no exception!
1. Eight percent of the people leave our practices because they found a better deal somewhere else.That’s right, they’re cheap.
2. Nine percent leave because something has occurred to make it unreasonable for them to come back.Maybe they died.
3. Fourteen percent don’t come back because of some unresolved issue.They are mad or disappointed.Maybe a billing problem, trouble with their glasses…something.
4. But 67 percent of the people who don’t come back to our practices, don’t come back because of a feeling of indifference.In other words,two out ofthree patients that you lose are lost simply because they don’t think you care whether or not they come back.
Can he get an “Amen!”? And, for the record, when I asked him what happened to the other 2 percent, he told me to not question the writings.
The solution is obvious: care more! But how do we strategically create an environment of caring? It’s not enough to tell your doctors and staff to be “more friendly” or to give them a big, fake “Welcome to XYZ Eye Mart!” (tactics of the most annoying restaurants in America). You have to create a patient-centric model.Consider the following as a basic guide for building better relationships in our business:
1. Design all protocols and procedures with the patient in mind.Better yet, imagine your mother as the patient.
2. Show respect throughout the visit by using proper names, unless the patient is considerably younger or if the patient requests to be called by his/her first name.Respect never hurts.
3. Anticipate the patient’s needs.Walk through the experience, see it through their eyes, think about what they may say or need at each station, and prepare your staff to deliver a wow experience.
4. Tie a ribbon around the experience by showing you care after the transaction is complete.Give them a handwritten thank you card, call to see how your patients are enjoying their eyewear or contact lenses, check on your injured or post-operative patients with a quick call…you get the point.
I want to thank Mike for his wisdom and permission to share his notes. To learn more, please visit www.LeadershipOD.com.There is a wealth of information on the site to help your practices improve and grow.
Why do you think patients leave your practice? What are you going to do to stop it from happening?
Amir Khoshnevis, OD, founded Carolina Family Eye Care in 2003. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and is a member of several optometric associations. He is a presenter at AOA and SECO. Dr. Khoshnevis has a strong interest in specialty contact lenses and has built a medical co-management contact lens practice as well as a clinical investigation site for specialty lenses. To contact him: drk@carolinafamilyeyecare.com.
