Incorporating Customer Service into your Marketing Strategy (and why it’s important)

Incorporating customer service into your marketing strategy

Do you have a documented patient or client journey?

Incorporating customer service into your marketing strategy would be a very smart move.

It plays a vital role in your marketing and is an area which can be easily over-looked.  In these days where patients and clients can leave reviews and people often don’t hold back, ignore your customer service at your peril.

So many websites have straplines boasting proudly that their ‘customer service is excellent’.  When in reality, it’s not true.  If you’re saying your customer service is excellent, then it needs to be true.  It’s embodying the word ‘service’.  What it isn’t is sending vanilla cut and paste emails that no one believes.  Be authentic and truly believe what you’re doing is the right thing for your patients and clients.  Because doing the right thing means you can’t have done more.

Think about when you call a trades person because you’re considering having a new kitchen.  How do you feel about the company if the first time you call it’s a generic voicemail.  Second time, another voicemail.  Third time the phone is answered, but it’s their wife/mother/daughter/other random person shouting ‘hang on, Jaaaaack! Someone wants you’.  Compare that to the phone being answered promptly by a friendly person that is happy to speak to you and is listening to you.  Which company do you immediatly trust?

And people will be judging you when they are call you.  Just the same as when you called the kitchen installer.

Patients and clients who receive excellent customer service are more likely to trust you and recommend you to others.  Doing your marketing for you.

There are a few reasons below why great customer service will only improve your clinic and reputation. I’m sure you can think of many more.

1. Create a Positive Reputation: Providing excellent customer service can help you create a positive reputationc. Patients and clients are more likely to leave positive reviews and share their positive experiences with others, leading to increased brand awareness and reputation.
2. Increase Patient and Client Retention: Providing exceptional customer service can increase patient retention. Patients and clients are more likely to return to a clinic that provides excellent customer service.
3. Attract New Patients: Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. Patients and clients who receive exceptional customer service are more likely to recommend the clinic to friends and family, leading to increased referrals and new patients.

There’s massive growth in private healthcare clinics.  I’m sure you’ve noticed new ones springing up regularly in your area.  It’s not good enough to be the ‘best’ clinician now.  You need to be the best marketeer.  As much as this may grate with you, it will always be the best marketeer that will have the busiest clinic.

When you have a couple of hours spare, a good use of your time would be to grab a piece of flip-chart paper, some coloured pens and start to document your patient journey.  I love my coloured felt-tip pens.

How can you improve your customer service?