Today, we conclude our trust building in the same way that your initial experience concludes with your patients.\u00a0 What we all commonly refer to as \u201cthe exit.\u201d\u00a0 However, most practices get the exit all wrong.<\/p>\n
Most view the exit as the end, when in fact it is actually only the end of the beginning and it is the beginning of so much more.<\/p>\n
Exits are the most overlooked place where trust is won or lost.\u00a0 Think of it like a movie ending with a disappointing cliffhanger, but with no promise of a sequel.\u00a0 This ending typically comes after something that possibly didn\u2019t feel that great or a new patient experience when the patient feels overwhelmed or otherwise confused.\u00a0 And just like that, it\u2019s all over.<\/p>\n
Worse yet, patients are asked for money and\/or further scheduling.\u00a0 The two things they would rather not do.<\/p>\n
We need a celebratory finish.\u00a0 And we need to reinforce the significance of what was accomplished as a positive outcome.<\/p>\n
This is why you can\u2019t take for granted the exit of any patient visit.\u00a0 And you must make sure it\u2019s more than someone on the phone waving good bye and mouthing \u2018see you next time.\u2019\u00a0 You want this to be as choreographed and intentional as everything else.<\/p>\n
This is another reason we love to give a gift of some sort.\u00a0 Pedo gets it right with kids getting stickers, candy or prizes for no cavities.<\/p>\n
What can you do to make your visit wow them at the end as much as the beginning?\u00a0 What can you do to make your practice memorable after they have left, not just while they are there?<\/p>\n
These are two important questions to trust because it is what they leave with.\u00a0 The last thing they experience will be what they think about and remember most.<\/p>\n
Trust is built through effective transfers, great communication, exiting, checking out, finishing a visit with as much professionalism and personal attention as there was in the first phone call and with each subsequent team member\u2019s engagement.<\/p>\n
Besides, the best reason of all to take every exit so seriously is because this is all about checks and balances in order to make sure no single patient falls through the cracks.<\/p>\n
No one would just let the phone ring and ring and ring and then say \u2018oh well\u2019 if it isn\u2019t answered.\u00a0 But, often that\u2019s the feeling of a rushed exit.<\/p>\n
There is no next time \u2013 there is only this time.\u00a0 Let no patient leave without scheduling, payment, expressing gratitude, ensuring there is full trust and being transparent with next steps.<\/p>\n
And there is no better way to do this than in a defined area such as the consult room or other specified place with specific person.\u00a0 This is no different than the phone; you can have back-ups but you should have a key person responsible for this.<\/p>\n
At the end of every day, you\u2019ll know what happened because every \u201ci\u201d is dotted, every \u201ct\u201d is crossed and every patient is accounted for.<\/p>\n
Because this is what leads to the most vital part of all trust in every relationship \u2013 FOLLOW THROUGH and FOLLOW UP.<\/p>\n
I will let that speak for itself.\u00a0 No matter what was promised (or if nothing was at all), what happens when a patient leaves is as important as what happens when they are there because MOST patients (sadly) leave without finality or conclusive next steps in money, scheduling, treatment acceptance or even feeling valued.<\/p>\n
This is why the hand-written cards; the follow-up phone calls; the acknowledgement of yes, no or maybe; and the continuation of the relationship is so important.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d make sure, just like a decision tree for any path a patient would follow for anything else, I have one for every type of \u201cend\u201d leading into a next action for every patient visit and conclusion.\u00a0 So that you solidify the trust not only before they walk out the door but after they leave.\u00a0 Showing up again after the fact is one of the most powerful things you can ever do.<\/p>\n
Exits matter.\u00a0 Just like every other part of the experience.\u00a0 The trust factor multiplies for the entire visit when the 7 parts are executed perfectly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"