- Competition — Most markets are competitive. Patients have a lot of choices, and they will exercise that choice if they aren’t satisfied.
- Retention — More patients leave a practice because of bad service than anything else. JD Powers and Associates found that 67 percent of the people who don’t come back to a practice, don’t come back because of “a feeling of indifference.” In other words, two out of three patients that you lose are lost simply because they don’t think you care whether or not they come back.
- High Expectations — Patients today expect the same service they would from a hotel or restaurant.
- “World of Mouth” — You know the power of “word of mouth.” With the rise of social media and online reviews, everyone’s voice has been amplified to what we call “world of mouth.” One bad experience can be instantaneously shared on Facebook and broadcast to hundreds of people at once.
And don’t forget — service is not only how your practice treats patients. It is also how you treat each other and anyone you interact with, including family members, other physicians’ offices, vendors and community contacts.