While at a conference recently, I was reminded of a book that inspired my journey toward creating distinction in practice. “Raving Fans,” by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, paints a picture of customer service today with this statement: “Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one is doing better. If you really want to have a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans.”

Here is the general concept:

YOUR PRACTICE, REIMAGINED

Start creating raving fans by “Deciding What You Want.” Take some time to imagine your practice the way you really want it. What does it look like? What does it sound like? Who is in this imaginary perfect practice with you, and who is not? What services does and doesn’t it provide? Go so far as to imagine what would not be a part of this perfect practice, and then write everything down. On paper, once streamlined, this is called a vision statement. Once you have created your vision, you can move on to building it.

The second step is to “Discover what the customer wants.” This is easier than it seems. The two methods I have used are to ask them in person while in the practice and to survey them online after their visit. I often end my exam with a genuine “Thank you; I’m looking forward to our next time together. Say ‘hi’ to the family.”

Then I will ask some patients if they would be willing to share what they love about their experience and what they would change. This doesn’t mean I implement every idea, and I make certain my team understands we cannot be everything to everyone. However, understanding my customers will help me shape the future of our business with the help of my team. Once we have our vision and the customer’s feedback, now we are in go mode.

TIME TO DELIVER

The third step in creating raving fans is to “Deliver Plus One Percent.” We have found it very important to introduce new goals to our team and our patients slowly and deliver on them consistently, trying always to exceed expectations. Raving fans are the result of consistent excellence. What I have found, and data supports for every industry, is that the only way to be consistently excellent is to have processes in place that everyone follows.

Think of the last business that exceeded your expectations. For me, it was my IT service. My husband David and I have a high-tech practice... with high-tech problems. When we moved to EHR and integrated our technology early on (2006), we quickly realized that we needed a reliable IT team on this journey with us. We rest easier knowing that whatever the issue, the IT team will consistently produce excellent outcomes for us. They have raving fans in us.

It has been so much fun to learn new ways to make patients happy, to adapt to change, to build relationships and change lives. Our raving fans continue to be the key to building our business, especially in this digital age. Today, your raving fans, with one post, can reach thousands on your behalf. Continue to focus on creating raving fans, and your business will grow, and everyone involved will have fun along the way. OM

Email: april.jasper@pentavisionmedia.com

Twitter: @DrAprilJasper

Facebook: @OptometricManagement