Health care is evolving and continues moving towards a consumer-driven market, requiring providers to adapt in order to meet patient needs. With information available at the touch of a button, consumers are taking more control of their health care decisions. When they go to a practice to receive care, they want to be listened to, respected, and spoken to in a way they understand.
As consumers become savvier, you can’t ignore the importance of providing a great patient experience and its impact on the success of your practice.
Patients are what keeps your practice lucrative. But they are also picky about where they spend their money. One bad experience could cause them to go somewhere else for hearing care, negatively affecting your practice’s revenue. Taking the necessary steps to guarantee patients have an outstanding experience every time will maintain or even boost profits.
Many companies are already making customer experience a priority. Of those working to improve the experience, 84% have seen an increase in revenue, according to research from Dimension Data. Further, a report from Adobe and Forrester found that experience-driven businesses see an average annual revenue growth of 15%, versus other companies that only see 11%.
Seamless processes, friendly staff, and quality care makes patients feel appreciated and therefore lifts overall satisfaction. The same Adobe and Forrester report found that health care companies that identify themselves as experience driven are nearly twice as likely to cite improved customer satisfaction as an outcome of their experience investments, in comparison with those who do not identify as such. Unsurprisingly, patient satisfaction is a critical element to building trusted relationships and keeping patients coming back to see you for their hearing health needs.
Your patients’ loyalty is also influenced by their experience with your practice. Happy patients will come back when they need to get their hearing checked or need hearing aid repair or replacement. Experience-driven businesses report up to 1.9 times higher year-over-year growth in customer retention, repeat purchases, and customer lifetime value than other companies. Since the patient journey in hearing health care is a long one for both first-time and repeat purchasers, prioritize loyalty initiatives in your business strategy, including regular email or phone communication.
Not only will satisfied patients return to your practice again and again for their hearing care needs, but they will also recommend you to friends, family, coworkers, and peers. One in two experience-driven businesses see increased advocacy because of their investment in experiences. This advocacy prompts practice awareness and growth. Encourage patients to write reviews and testimonials or refer others, offering an incentive if possible.
Putting patient experiences at the forefront of your practice strategy will make you more successful in the long run. A patient who has a positive experience will be more satisfied, return in the future, and tell others to use your services – who in turn will have a positive experience and start the cycle again.
