Make The Most of Your Patient Communication System:
With the ever increasing use of smart phones, we are experiencing a cultural shift in what is now considered “personalized customer service”. Rather than every patient wanting a phone call, patients today expect to be able to choose HOW they are communicated with. Since
your practice base is likely a mix of Baby Boomers to Millennials, we encourage you to provide a choice of email and text in addition to calls and direct mail. Fortunately, this has been made easier through patient communication systems such as RevenueWell, Lighthouse, Demandforce, Solution Reach, etc. According to our most recent survey, about half of you are now using one of these programs.
But, did you know that beyond the ability to systematize appointment reminders and contact patients when they are due for their next hygiene visit that there are a number of other benefits for both keeping in touch with patients between visits as well as attracting new patients and building your online presence?
Here is a checklist to make sure you are taking advantage of those additional perks:
Collect patient reviews on Google, Yelp, etc. (use post-appointment messages to collect feedback and direct patients to your social sites for reviews).
Feature patient reviews on your website (stream a feed of your reviews chronologically on your website for prospective patients).
Make sure your business information is the same as on your Google listing and website footer/ contact page (name, address, phone number – some services subscribe to a list aggregating service to help build your online presence so you want it to be consistent).
Make sure your important directory links are connected (Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, etc. – again for building your online presence).
Add link for your Patient Portal on your website to bring patients back to your website repeatedly to pay their balance online, request an appointment, etc. (Google likes to see repeat
traffic).
Develop your one-page website for additional online presence (most services offer you microsite which is optimized for search with all of your important office and contact information, as well as another place to see your reviews).
Subscribe to their social media content for ideas to keep your Facebook page fresh and up to date (not available through all services).
Keep in touch with patients after their appointment with post-op information and treatment plan follow up (not available through all services).
Personalize your birthday message with a team photo – or better yet – a video of you wishing them a happy birthday!
Use campaigns to customize messages to promote pertinent services/technology to subgroups of your patient base.