Customer Service to the Client/Patient
You’re an attorney. You practice the noble profession of law which has its foundation in ancient Rome. Your clients are people. At the end of the day, you are a service industry. You represent, fight for, and service the needs of others. What could be more noble than that?
There’s nothing tangible or palpable you’re selling. No shiny object. No hi-tech machine that requires a warranty and a service contract. You’re selling yourselves – you and the people that make up your law firm.
Customer Service from the attorney.
Results matter but we know that results are not the be all and end all. Clients want more and you know that. As such, you’ve made the decision to put customer service at the top of your priority list. I applaud you for that. How you treat your client is vital. The number one issue our patients bring up in conversation, as it relates to their attorney, is customer service. Whether great, average, or non-existent, patients will comment on how they are treated by their attorney and their attorney’s staff.
Customer Service from the doctor.
Doctors are in the healthcare business. Like attorneys, we too are in the service industry. We service the needs of others. Take note of this interesting fact. Do you know the number one reason patients leave their doctor? It’s not results. It’s not office hours. It’s not insurance coverage or copay or hospital affiliation. Nope. The number one reason patients leave their doctor is when the patient feels the doctor and/or the staff no longer care about them. Let that sink in.
Practices to whom you associate and entrust your clients, reflect on you.
You’re a firm that recognizes the importance of providing great customer service to your clients. You’ve built a reputation and a brand around that. Clients leave glowing testimonials to that fact. But your clients need to interact with those outside your firm. You need to refer injured clients to healthcare providers who will treat your clients. You want to insure that wherever and whoever you refer a client, those clients get the same level of customer service. The customer service of the firm to which you’ve referred your client reflects on you. It is what it is, as they say. If you refer a client to a doctor and that client is not treated well, will that client complain about the bad service to the doctor or staff? No. They complain about that service to you, as if you’re responsible for that office’s customer service practices.
Therefore, I contend that it’s just as important to partner with, collaborate with, and refer to, healthcare facilities who have the same level of customer service as your office. It takes your customer service to the next level – ensuring your client is treated elsewhere, as well as you treat them.
Our customer service brand promise.
Patients enter our office primarily through the referral from an attorney and they come to us with a host of concerns and questions.
- Can I get an appointment within 24-48 hours?
- Is the office easy to find?
- Will there be available parking?
- Will the office be clean, sanitary, and professional?
- Will the staff be friendly and caring?
- Are the doctors experienced and knowledgeable?
- Do the doctors take the time to listen to my complaints and explain medical information?
- Will the severity of my injuries be explained?
- Will the treatment help?
- Will I be referred for diagnostic testing and to other health care providers for additional care?
- Do the doctors and staff work with and communicate regularly with my attorney?
- Is this the best office for a positive outcome to my case?
The patient experience at Burlington Spine & Rehab answers each of these questions with a confident and resounding yes.
The key take-aways of the patient experience at Burlington Spine & Rehab are:
- We care about you
- We listen
- We get things done
If you have a client in need of care and you want that client to experience the same level of customer service that you provide, then simply direct your client to us. Your client will get the needed treatment, diagnostic testing, and referrals to medical specialists, in our atmosphere of service that caters to them and puts their needs above all.
Yours in health,
Dr. Mark A. Bolinger