By Usman Asim, RPSGT
Our patients are our customers, and although the customer is not always right, they always deserve to be provided with high-quality customer service and Politeness, Positivity and Respect (PPR). Staff training at your medical practice should start and end with the stated mission that every employee engage in PPR during every patient interaction.
The Lost Art of Customer Service in Medicine
Replicate successful business-to-customer experiences you see in areas outside of your medical practice. By doing so, you ensure that caustic interactions between employees and customers will never occur. When, if ever, has anyone of us had a bad experience at Chick-fil-A? Even if a mistake was made 
with your order at this establishment, the corrective action always defines the experience, not the mistake. This is PPR in action, in the real world and in a busy work environment.
A warm smile, a polite and personalized greeting, empathy of the patient’s current medical situation, and an appreciation of their willingness to use your services are core actions in best business practices. Embed PPR in the DNA of your company and then reap the rewards of this effort.
Getting Creative with Your Customer Service
Beyond these core practices of customer service, get creative! Enhance your medical practice by giving patients an extra level of value-added service that will separate you from competitors:
- If finding parking at or near your office is challenging for your patients, consider offering valet services— the cost of which can be split by you and possible neighboring businesses.
- Do not just verbally encourage patients to exercise more—incentivize them. Partner with a local gym, recreation center, or YMCA, and offer your patients a discount when going to these places.
- Team up with a local medical transportation company or ride sharing service to assist patients who may have challenges getting to and from appointments.
- If you have a call center, consider having some of those folks engage in live chat assistance via your website.
- If your practice can engage in charitable giving, include your patients in the selection process. Set up a survey on your website of several charities that patients can vote on to determine who your practice donates to. This is a win on multiple levels: it directly informs patients of your company’s decision to donate, allows the patient to participate in the good will of giving by deciding who your company donates to, brings attention to said charity, and may motivate the patient or others to further donate to the charity.
When you decide to be and do more than just an average medical practice, let Bright Ideas Medical Consulting help you power up your PPR game. Ready to get started and improve your customer service in medicine? Let’s talk.