"Mary Kay Does More Than Make Beautiful Faces"

Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, said that her secret to success was to make believe that every person you’re speaking with is wearing a sign around their neck that says “Make me feel important!”.  One of the most basic human needs is to feel valued.   The goal of the doctors and assistants in our practice is to make each and every patient feel that they're special and number one.  This may appear colloquial and elementary but is not done in most practices. 

With this in mind, much of our practice’s effort and focus is on not just satisfying patients but wowing them.  This begins with training of our staff on phone etiquette and making our expectations clear.  Our guidelines include answering on less than three rings, identifying your name in your greeting, asking permission to put a patient on hold, thanking them for holding and asking at the end of the call if they have any questions or need help with anything else.  When coming into the office they are welcomed with eye contact and a smile from the receptionist.  If we are behind schedule, they are told and kept apprised of the wait.  A variety of magazines are kept current and a small television is in the reception area with a local news channel.

When entering the treatment room we always shake a patient’s hand and enter with an enthusiastic smile.  I’ve always been quite amazed how patients are so impressed by rudimentary people skills.  Patients assume that we provide quality medical care so it’s the people skills that give us the competitive edge.  When presenting to a patient we always say “we want you to know what you have, why you have it and what the options are to take care of it.”  This statement and the presentation then given is so comprehensive that our patient’s perception is that care above and beyond has been provided.

When confronted with an angry patient we approach it with the philosophy that a problem is an opportunity dressed in work clothes.  Patients expect that if they have an issue or problem with a practice, a battle will ensue.  Confronted with a problem, we then focus on listening skills.  We listen to the complaint with our eyes, ears and heart and repeat it back in a way to let the patient know we understand their concern.  What most angry patients are looking for is an “I’m sorry”, which is simple to deliver.  All efforts then focus on addressing the problem and the patient is later contacted to be sure there has been a resolve.