I am currently sitting at a bar at a Four Seasons Hotel indulging in my love of ice cream. As I eat way too much sugar, I am watching the bartender hand squeeze cases of lemons and grapefruit to use in his signature cocktails. The bartender, Blake, told me of the cases and cases of limes he hand-squeezes for his spicy lime margaritas. Why? I asked. He could have used a lime margarita mix. He could have saved himself countless hours and 800 limes. After questioning Blake about why he chose to hand-squeeze his juice, he simply stated that it tasted better; there is simply no comparison to freshly squeezed juice. Blake could have used the pre-made mix, but the quality was not the same. The customer experience was not the same.
Is it worth the time and effort? To the Four Seasons: it is. To this bartender: it is. Quality and the customer experience are what make the Four Seasons spectacular. The Four Seasons never asked Blake to hand squeeze fruit or to develop his signature cocktails. It only demands exceptional customer service. It is up to each and every employee to deliver this in their own signature style.
What makes your practice spectacular? What makes your patient experience exceptional? When someone leaves your office, are they amazed with the experience they had? Does something set your office apart? Or are you just the run-of-the-mill medical practice? What can YOU do today to make your practice different? Maybe it is something as simple as fresh flowers at the check-in desk. Maybe it is something as large as putting protocols in place that makes your office run like a well-oiled machine. Or revamping your schedule, so you no longer need a waiting room.
Whatever you do, demand exceptional customer service, both from yourself and your staff. Make your patient’s experience spectacular. In return, they will be as loyal as a Four Season's guest drinking a fresh-squeezed lime margarita…. Or in my case indulging my sweet tooth.
By: Holly Burkman
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