By Charlotte Tlachac, OD, FAAO
Special little touches that show patients you care don’t need to cost a lot. They just need to be genuine ways to encourage patients to connect with you.
For example, we recently added an unusual business card holder. It’s really a photo holder, with wires coming out of a small metal cube. It allows us to put business cards within easy reach, and because the display is almost sculpture-like, it encourages patients to grab a card on the way out. We have noticed that we are replacing business cards much faster in this manner than when they were simply stacked by the front desk.
Business cards can help create a personal connection with patients—if you take just the simple extra step of circling or adding your email or cell phone number. If the patient walks out knowing exactly whom to call with questions on eyeglasses or contact lenses or eye care, that patient feels much more connected to the office.
We have other little touches throughout the office that pamper patients. We keep a candy machine on the front counter, and patients love to turn the handle to get a handful of M&Ms. Patients love the mini fridge with bottled water, as well as the puzzles, games and even a rocking horse for active children and the aquarium for young and old alike.
