Building a loyal patient base is essential for the long-term success of any cosmetic practice. While attracting new patients is important, retaining your existing patients can be even more valuable. Research shows that the cost of acquiring a new patient is significantly higher than retaining an existing one, and loyal patients are also more likely to recommend your practice to others.
Thus, it can be beneficial for not only your practice’s bottom line but also its reputation and brand presence to build out a winning strategy for increased patient loyalty.
Top Reasons Why Patients Don’t Return
While there are many reasons why patients may choose not to return to a practice, some of the leading causes are long wait times, inconsistencies in communication or appointment experiences and negative experiences with doctors or staff members.
According to a customer service study by PwC, 32% of customers will stop returning to a business after just one bad experience. In the cosmetic industry, this percentage could be even higher, given the personal nature of these services.
How to Increase Patient Retention
It is true that there will always be a small number of patients who may never return to your practice, no matter how great the experience. However, there are a number of actions you can take to minimize a slow leak of patients over time.
1. Make the First Experience Memorable
As the saying goes, first impressions are everything. A patient’s first visit to your practice will set the tone for your relationship and play a significant role in determining whether or not they will come back.
Investing in staff training can make all the difference, as these are the team members with whom patients will interact first. Proper training will help to ensure a consistent experience every visit and provides staff members with the education and tools necessary to be able to answer or direct all questions thoughtfully and in a timely manner.
2. Stay Top of Mind
Another crucial element of patient retention is staying “top of mind” so that when patients are ready to schedule another appointment, your practice immediately comes to mind. Engaging on social media, utilizing email campaigns and sending appointment and follow-up reminders are all effective ways to achieve this goal.
Additionally, offering rewards programs and special perks and promotions for both new and returning patients can be beneficial. Many businesses focus only on attracting new clients, leaving existing ones feeling left out. Avoid this pitfall to attract and retain at the same time.
3. Offer a Competitive Range of Services
At the end of the day, your patients are coming to you because they want a particular cosmetic procedure or service, and they want to see excellent results. If they can’t get that procedure or those high-caliber results, they’ll have no choice but to go elsewhere. Thus, it is important to stay ahead of the curve and even set the trends yourself, offering a full suite of the latest medical technologies and treatments.
Creating an Action Plan
Some small steps to improve patient experience and retention may be easily attainable today, but not all will be. Longer-term strategies like expanding your product or service offerings can take more time and money to implement. Partnering with a private equity-backed group like Olympus Cosmetic Group that can help to provide the necessary financial backing, is one way to help accelerate this growth strategy. To learn more about our invite-only network of elite plastic surgery practices, we invite you to get in touch.
