Issue #3: You're Not as Good as You Think

The High Value of Independent Feedback

Companies like to think they give great customer service. In one survey of executives, 80% of the 300 CEOs rated their company’s customer service as “excellent.” A follow up study of 3,000 customers of those same companies told a different story, where only 8% said the service they received was similarly excellent. What’s going on here? As human beings, we tend to rate ourselves higher than those around us do. 90% of people think they’re better than average drivers; 98% think they are in the nicest 50% in the population. You get the idea. Psychologists call this illusory superiority, while fans of Garrison Keilor know this as the Lake Wobegon effect.  The problem is that this type of deception can get in the way of trying to improve the business side of a medical practice. In other words, if you’re ignorant of your customer-facing skills, you can’t work towards improving them. SM2 Strategic has been measuring one specific skill – answering the telephone – over the years across a wide range of practices, including those believed to be “the best.” What we found was shocking to doctors and administrators, many of whom had thought their phones were being handled by Donna Reed but in reality tended to fall far short, moving perilously in the direction of Nurse Ratched.

While there’s a ton of data, the conclusion is what matters: virtually all medical practices do a poor job on the phone. Not very good for business in general. And when it comes to medical practices, that telephone call is the moment of truth that will decide if interest turns into action.  Drop the ball here and that prospective patient is likely gone forever.  Fortunately, there’s an easy way to get feedback on how well you are doing. OptiCall , a company I’ve known since they started over 15 years ago, is in the business of successfully handling inbound calls from prospective patients. They focus on elective procedure specialties (refractive ophthalmology, cosmetic dermatology, plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry) and are experts at giving callers the confidence to move forward and schedule a consultation.  I like that they answer the telephone as an extension of your practice and offer a variety of packages as well as integration to Everseat ( featured in the last issue of TeeTime) and Brevium.  Their systems are designed to handle overflow, so callers don't gets put on hold, go to voicemail, or have some other negative experience.  As a result, OptiCall clients see average revenue boost from 11-25%.

Similar to the 12-point Survey Tool (shown above) that SM2 has used for years with LASIK practices, OptiCall  conducts “mystery shopping” to comprehensively evaluate  how your practice is currently performing on the phone.  This independent look is offered at no charge and provides valuable insights into how well you’re doing.  I highly recommend it this "look in the mirror" because it provides accurate data to help you understand what's really happening.   You will be contacted by the company before the mystery calls to review groundrules (ie, they won’t tell you when they’re going to call). Just remember to smile!

Click here to schedule your mystery shopper calls

OptiCall is focused on making your telephone operations better and more productive.  For those of you who would benefit from OptiCall,  we’ve negotiated special SM2 pricing to help you get started.

About "Tee Time"

Shareef Mahdavi has been helping doctors enhance their practices for years through technology, patient experience, and better economics. Tee Time provides answers to specific pain points within medical practices, offering advice and solutions from companies that have been reviewed and evaluated by SM2 Strategic.

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