Perception … What Are Your Patients REALLY Hearing?
by: Livvie Matthews
Never underestimate the power of perception! Perception plays a major part in what is actually said vs how it is heard. And to patients…perception is reality!
For example, lets look at broken appointments, one of the biggest problems in your practice. Last minute changes and no show appointments account for thousands of dollars a month in lost revenue for the practice!
Are you sending signals to your patients that itกs all right to break appointments?
When the patient calls and says they กForgotก or กHave a meeting.ก or กJust want to reschedule.ก Is your response ‘thatกs OK.ก, กSure, thatกs no problem.ก or simply…กHow soon do you want to come back?ก And then schedule them right back at the 1st available opening?
A well established practice with a scheduling coordinator who knows the patients well has a sense of กoffendingก the patient if they remind them of the dilemma this last minute change will make.
Nothing could be further from the truth or more harmful to the practice!
An unusually high number of broken appointments generally translates into a lack of respect concerning your practice and appointments time and ‘time is money.ก
Generally patients simply are not aware of the problems associated with last minute changes because they have been ‘trainedก (they hear) itกs so easy to change the appointment.
Often before we can ‘trainก the patient, the front office must first ‘retrainก their response to these last minute calls.
For example, when the specific date or time a new patient or existing patient wants is not available, if our reply is: กWe get cancellations every dayก or even worse, กWe get cancellations all the time and can get you right inก, what have we taught this patient?
In just a matter of seconds the patient has been ‘taughtก (heard) Itกs all right to call at the last minute to change an appointment, cancellations happen all the time, when they do cancel they can get กright back in.ก
The patient has no value associated with the practice or the appointment time. In fact, we กsignaledก (and they heard) itกs OK!
A more positive verbal response would be: กLetกs go ahead and schedule you an appointment. Should there be a change in our schedule on that date, I will be glad to call you. May I have a number that you can be reached during the day?ก
This time in just a matter of seconds you have trained the new patient and existing patient to think (they heard): You have a tight schedule (busy practice), กCancellationsก are not even mentioned (not an option) and there could be a wait before being reappointed if they have to change(best keep the appointment!)
Value is now being associated with the practice and appointment time.
This problem didn’t happen overnight and won’t be กfixedก overnight. But making it a priority to use positive verbal skills in training your patients to value their appointment and practice time will make a noticeable difference.
After all, how you are perceived by your patients is everything, and itกs all in their Perception…. What your patients are (Really) hearing!
About The Author
Livvie Matthews, Business Office and Patient Relationship Specialist helps you FOCUS on narrowing the gap between your practice your business. Visit http://www.LivvieMatthews.com Business Office News mailto:[email protected]
This article was posted on January 02, 2004
by Livvie Matthews
