One of the key elements in marketing and patient retention that is usually overlooked is Internal Marketing. Most physician practices focus primarily on external marketing, which is getting the patients in the door. They may advertise via their website, the yellow pages, and community events. But ask yourself this very simple question… Would you hire your front desk staff as your public relations representative?
How does your front desk answer the phone? Are they friendly? Do they have a script or are they winging it? The front desk is vital in converting phone inquiries into kept appointments. You would be surprised at the number of physician offices that fail this very important task. There are very simple solutions to help the front desk staff gain a better understand of how and what their role is when answering the phones.
Once the appointment is set, we know the external marketing has worked, and the receptionist was successful in converting the phone lead. What’s next? What needs to be addressed next is how they are treated once through the door. Everyone should be treated the same, whether they are a patient, pharmaceutical drug representative, or any number of vendors that approach healthcare professionals. Everyone should be greeted with a smile and offered assistance. All too often this is forgotten. Over time we see receptionists becoming more of a gatekeeper, with an emphasis on keeping people out rather than being open to new people. Keep in mind you can never take back a first impression.
