What makes a doctor’s office an oasis? According to several physicians who balance medical and aesthetic patients, it’s much more than the design of the room and its furnishings — although those things are part of it. Here, in part one of this two-part series, we focus on customer service.

In reality, most patients regard their doctors’ waiting room to be more like a holding cell than an oasis and time spent there a necessary evil, not a pleasure. However, Drs. Joel Schlessinger, Doris Day, Susan Weinkle and Jason Pozner believe there is much that can be done to make the experience there a positive one that increases patient satisfaction and encourages referrals and return visits for elective procedures, and it largely boils down to excellent customer service.

Little Things

Jason Pozner, MD, is a plastic surgeon who partners with dermatologist David Goldberg, MD, in a practice that includes offices — including a medispa — in New York, New Jersey and Florida. He suggests doctors who want to work on their customer satisfaction manner start with a book on the subject; he recommends two very un-medical sounding books, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless: How to Make Them Love You, Keep You Coming Back, and Tell Everyone They Know by Jeffrey Gitomer and Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results by Jack Mitchell.

To him customer service may not be a hug so much as “lots of little things” that include friendliness, respect and excellent patient care.

Out of respect for patients, he makes sure to always have a chaperone when meeting with female patients and usually for males as well. And he goes the extra mile to maximize patient satisfaction with procedures he performs. “If there’s a little bleeder that will turn into a bruise, I don’t rush, I put pressure on it to diminish its size, a trick I learned from Botox expert Michael Kane.

He makes a point of washing his hands and donning gloves in front of patients while chatting briefly. Most of all, he makes sure to put a smile on his face. He says both he and Dr. Goldberg have similar attitudes toward patient handling. “We try to schmooze them, put them at ease, and if they’re frightened, I try to find out what they are afraid of.”

One thing many are afraid of is pain, so his practice goes to great lengths to minimize it. “We provide ice, numbing cream and lidocaine with injectables; we use small needles, and change them frequently to be sure they’re sharp.”

Relationship Building

At a recent medical meeting, New York dermatologist Doris Day, who calls herself a “philosophical dermatologist” made the point that such “schmoozing” or “chatting up” patients is more than good customer service; it’s good medicine. “When I find out what’s going on in their lives, I have a better idea of the types of procedures that will work best with their faces and their lives. We talk about life issues and family issues and work issues because all those things really affect your facial expression. Stress levels affect how young or old you look, how well you heal, how you project yourself going forward, and even the decisions you’ll make about the treatments you choose,” she explains. “So when I understand more about my patients and they have a sense that I really care about them as a whole person, they are more likely to trust me and what I tell them as to what they need.” What’s more, she adds, “they are more likely to be really happy with that outcome.”

Her colleague Susan Weinkle, a dermatologist in private practice in Bradenton, FL, and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of South Florida, is all about relationships period. She believes in being available to patients at all times and even has her home phone number listed, saying “After I operate on someone I give them my number, so they can reach me if they need to.” She finds that the best way to handle an upset patient’s call is to take it herself. “They’re more likely to vent to my staff than me.”

Your Staff

However, perhaps even more than what happens in the treatment room is what happens in the waiting room. And, as all books and interviewed doctors agree, that’s where the very first smiling face should be seen.

“Your staff contributes almost as much to the success of your practice as do your skills as a physician,” says Dr. Weinkle, a view shared by Dr. Day who warns, “If people don’t like your staff, they will go elsewhere. Your staff should be friendly, talkative, and knowledgeable about the services you offer.”

Invest in Customer Service, especially During a Recession

Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist in private practice in Omaha, NE, says good customer service is more important than ever during a recession. “While for some, the normal response to decreased revenues is decreased customer service, it really should be exactly the opposite,” he says, noting that this is a lesson he learned first-hand. “We had been doing small interventions to improve business — advertising and marketing in the community — but found that the best business improvement intervention was the ongoing expense of training and retaining front desk staff who are outstanding.”

“The most important initiative of all is a friendly smile and a cheerful hello from the front desk down,” he explains.