The Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery takes customer service seriously. We know you have a choice a providers and we go that extra mile to ensure your experience with us is exceptional from at every stage. That's why we are so proud that Plastic Surgery Practice Advisor, a trade publication for plastic surgery practices across the country, is pointing to ACPS as a leader in customer service.
The February issue features the story, "Customer service can make or break your practice; It can be the little things that matter," which draws upon the expertise of ACPS practice administrator Karen Husmann, MBA. Below is an excerpt:
Patients must feel welcomeKaren Husmann, MBA, practice administrator for The Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery in Houston, says ensuring good customer service is a primary focus for her and her staff members.
It is imperative that patients feel welcome in the practice, she says. That can mean more than just smiles and a friendly attitude.
When you visit your internist with a terrible case of the flu, you will wait two hours in an uncomfortable chair with a dozen other sick people in a small waiting room reading a three-year-old Field & Stream, and not complain as long as you know you will get some relief, Husmann says. That is not true for someone coming in for a face-lift. The patient is willing to pay up to $20,000 cash, Husmann says, and he or she has every right to expect to be treated like someone handing the practice $20,000.
She says many of the typical scenes in other doctors’ offices must be avoided in a plastic surgery practice.
“The one thing I will never have is one of those horrific opaque sliding speak-easy doors that separate the waiting room from the front office and inevitably have multicolored pieces of paper taped on them effectively telling you to ‘sign in, sit down, shut up, and by the way, we expect payment prior to services being rendered,’ ” she says. “We have large, open welcoming desks, with low lighting and comfortable chairs in our waiting rooms. Everyone is offered a beverage and asked if they need anything else while they are waiting.”
The practice strives to avoid having patients wait an inordinate amount of time, and if they do have to wait, Husmann and her staff members acknowledge that they have been waiting, apologize, and make sure they are okay with the wait.
Good service can differentiate practice
When Husmann was hired by the practice more than 13 years ago, she told it that it was offering a service that dozens of other great plastic surgeons were offering, and that its work was—by itself—nothing special.
“In fact, I could name many other surgeons in Houston with whom I could have a face-lift and have a great result. They had to make their face-lift, liposuction, and breast augmentation better than another surgeon providing the same surgical outcome, and to do that they would have to differentiate their services,” she says. “That means they had to have outstanding staff with the right interpersonal skills, great marketing and public relations, elegantly appointed facilities, and a great respect for the needs and goals of their patients.”
Unlike years ago, when patients had to accept whatever their physician told them, Husmann says, today’s patients have done their research and know what they want.
“From the warm blankets in preop, to our postop goody bag with all they will need after surgery, to a dozen roses after surgery, to the home care visit at their home the day after surgery, to complimentary massages after surgery, each detail is vitally important,” she says. “We want patients to know that we appreciate them, with birthday cards and notes of thanks when they refer their friends.”
Husmann has sent staff members to one-day seminars offered by various local companies about customer service, and occasionally she distributes articles with tips about customer service to staff members.
“We have made use of mystery shopping in the past. Shoppers have posed as patients who call our practice, come in for a consultation, et cetera,” she says. “It keeps us from becoming too complacent by giving us a fresh look at what we are doing. Oftentimes, we don’t realize that there are areas that need improvement.”
Tips to help improve service
Husmann offers these tips for improving customer service:
Hire a good team. Forget motivating people. Hire motivated people and try not to de-motivate them, she says. The administrator cannot do it all. Hire the best nurses, the best receptionist, the best patient coordinator, and pay them well. Set up a bonus program that rewards all employees. (Husmann does not pay commission to skin care staff. Everyone is rewarded for promoting products and services.) The practice’s quarterly bonus program is based on profitability of the practice, base salary, and individual performance score on annual reviews.
Train staff members in “customer recovery.” Empower them to “fix it” when a customer is unhappy. Give them the authority to waive a fee, offer a complimentary massage or facial, or offer free products.
Promote the right atmosphere. “When I interview individuals for employment, I tell them that, yes, we are a serious medical facility, but our mind-set is that of an exclusive, high-end boutique,” Husmann says. “For those who cannot buy in to this, they are not hired.” Also remember that it is the doctor who sets the tone, and the leaders/managers who mirror the behavior. If the leader is negative and pessimistic and views customers as problems, the staff members will follow suit.
Encourage a good interaction among staff members. Offer all-staff lunches when a customer compliments the staff and other fun events such as bowling night or movie night. Remember, Husmann says, customers will notice if you have a bunch of people in the office who like each other.
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