[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our previous blog covered digital marketing and the medical industry (if you haven’t read it we’ll leave it here). Here we’ll go through what actions you can apply to achieve better patient satisfaction and add more value to your brand in the non-digital world.
Use Consistent Branding
This point may seem obvious. This said you’d be amazed at how many companies we see that get carried away with visuals…to put it one way. By keeping branding consistent, you become more easily recognized.
By keeping to a strict color scheme, font, tone of voice (essential), and theme/logo, users will identify these elements with your brand. Your logo is what represents your hospital and your core values. If your core values are on point, your logo will do the rest.
Source: (Gandolf, n.d.)
Key examples, the Nike tick, Apple’s apple, and Adidas’ three stripes, never change and have been consistent since day one.
This is a hybrid that needs to be applied to both the digital and traditional sides of your brand!
Assess user experience (Net Promoter Score)
There are many ways to ask for reviews from patients. We’re sharing our top 2 tips for getting the feedback you need to improve your services.
1. Implement feedback through Net Promoter Score (NPS)
What is the NPS? It’s a single-question survey designed to evaluate the loyalty of customers.
Often, the question will be phrased like “on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our services to friends or family? 1 being never, 10 being high.”
We can break up the scores into 3 sections:[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1639662412634{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]
0-6
Detractors
They received terrible services and are very unlikely to come back again. The worst part? They are likely to discourage other potential patients.
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7-8
Passives
This group is neither more nor less likely to promote your business. They are not a threat to your image, but those who scored an 8 are very close to becoming promoters. You could investigate what was missing for a score of 9.
For example: “what were we missing in order for you to give us a perfect 10?”
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9-10
Promoters
Those who are likely to actively promote your brand through word of mouth (a very powerful tool). Essentially, they are your brand ambassadors.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Source: (Hotjar, 2021)
How to conduct an NPS?
A simple telephone call one week after a patient’s appointment is what we recommend.
2. Focus Groups
Groups are the best way to dig deep into issues that individuals are having with your services. How so? You’ve invited them to your institution for the very purpose to talk about how their treatment went.
How to invite current patients to a focus group?
We think that honesty is the best policy. Tell the patient exactly what you’re inviting them to and why. Additionally, adding an extra incentive (free lunch provided, 10% off a service/appointment, are a couple of examples that could work well) is a great way to get people to show up.
An invitation can be made by phone or email. We’d recommend by phone, it’s more personal, it gives you more room to persuade and avoids any technicalities with technology.
On the day.
A moderator will introduce the group to the program (how the session will run). The moderator’s key job? Make note of exactly what the patients are saying.
The moderator may begin the session with an open question: “How would you improve our services?”. The floor is now open for the invitees to express themselves and converse amongst themselves.
You may intervene in a certain topic that has your attention (perhaps one that you heard before, so now it is confirmed that it needs addressing as multiple people are saying the same thing).
BONUS – Satisfy new AND old patients’ curiosity
Our biggest top tip to help satisfy customers? Answer their questions before they get a chance to ask them.
Provide tv slideshows and brochures
Hospitals can be a confusing place and even more so when one arrives sick, panicked, and worried. Simple verbal instructions can become too much. Easy solution, provide clear and concise visual steps.
Place televisions and run a slideshow on the patient’s journey. Careful, here be sure to highlight how many steps you have (this is to avoid a customer only looking from step 1 to 3 when you have 5 steps).
Secondly, hand out a brochure to each patient who arrives at the hospital. Provide a clear map of the grounds and the same instructions shown on the previously mentioned slideshow. This is no time to promote customer reviews or the pros of your hospital.
This is purely a time to ensure easy customer service. Remember, these individuals are panicked and likely to be sick. Calm and clear is the best way to ensure they get where they need to be with minimum confusion (which leads to frustration and negative feedback!).
Phone Lines
Holding on to the phone line, avoid the classical opera music (it’s never good quality, and everyone complains about it). Why not keep the caller engaged? After the standard “please hold while we connect you with an available XXX” add in a fact about your hospital’s impact.
Example 1:
“Please hold while we connect you with an available XXX. [3-second pause] Did you know that so far this year we have performed X number of operations and we have gained an X% customer satisfaction score”.
Example 2:
“Please hold, we’re experiencing a high volume of calls right now. [3-second pause] Did you know that we now offer XXX service, we’re the only hospital in the area to do so.”
You could even take these messages one step further. Remember earlier we mentioned preventative care?
Waiting callers on phone lines are the perfect people to give top health tips to.
Example:
“Please hold while we connect you to our next available XXX. [3-second pause] Did you know that by increasing your fruit/vegetable consumption to XXX can benefit/help reduce XXX”.
Got more questions? Let us answer and tell you more about how we can improve your medical marketing.
Book an appointment today. Click here!
Bibliography
Hotjar, 2021. What is Net Promoter Score®? Your introduction to NPS. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hotjar.com/net-promoter-score/
[Accessed 13 December 2021].
Gandolf, S., n.d.. 15 Healthcare Marketing Strategies That Deliver More Healthcare Patients. [Online]
Available at: https://healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/healthcare-marketing-strategy.html
[Accessed 13 December 2021].[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
