Every private healthcare provider has a well-defined target audience that depends on the services they offer. It’s normal for a clinic to have several services catering to multiple types of patients, and that’s where general customer service can get a little complicated. How do you know how long it will take to see a patient if you don’t know what their ailment is?  Luckily for you, that’s exactly what we’re going to cover today!

Let’s look at some possibilities:

The Returning Patient

These patients might visit your clinic as part of a routine, maybe you’re the dentist they’ve been seeing for years or their local private GP.
You would deal with these patients quickly and with intent. They know what they want; therefore, you don’t need to try and convince them of anything. They know your business, maybe even know you directly, and it seems they are impressed because they’re returning to you.

The New Patient

These are patients that have possibly seen your services advertised online or maybe a friend or family member has referred them to your clinic.
The best way to deal with new patients is to gather as much information as possible. This is why before any patient can book an appointment or joina queue on the app, they are asked a series of questions, proposed and created by you as the business. This allows you to gain as much information as possible about their current condition, allowing you to understand how long their appointment may take, meaning you’re better equipt to predict the further schedule for the day.

The Questioner

These are the people that have walked past your clinic and are passing the time by having a browse around. They aren’t actually interested in what you do or sell; they’re simply browsing.
If you are experienced in sales, then you will be able to pinpoint this type of patient, you don’t need to ignore them, but also, you don’t need to spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what they need. Approach them a few minutes after they enter your clinic, if they haven’t already approached you, and ask them if you can help. They will likely refuse, which gives you the chance to politely accept their refusal and inform them that you can be found at X place if they need help with anything.

Remember that understanding your patients and how you can help them is crucial for your business to succeed.

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