No matter what happens, a patient retention strategy will always be constant in the practice. Marketing strategies come and go depending on the trends and the year. As the physician, you can strengthen the patient retention strategy starting from the office. Many experts claim that practicing retention would need to start from the internal as well.

If you do not implement a patient retention tactic, you may be losing more leads. Here are some tactics you can do improve patient retention in your practice.

Recommendation: Front Office Customer Service Training

According to Patient Builders, you could be losing more patients if your staff is not even answering the phone. Your front office staff has a responsibility to answer all calls that could help you widen your patient reach. In terms of patient retention, your front desk should also follow-up on all your returning patients.

The waiting room should also be taken into consideration. Many experts suggest that a waiting room need to be presentable and provide comfort for the patients. Additionally, keep your patients occupied and entertained as they wait their turn. Magazines, free Wi-Fi, and the television can combat boredom and anxiety from waiting.

This would encompass everything from the call to the waiting room. Training would give them an idea to approach the patients from their first visit up to their succeeding ones.

Recommendation: Set-up a Loyalty or Referral Program

Most businesses thrive on their returning customers and their loyalty. To repay them, they give their customers discounts or coupons for any referrals. This is not unheard of in medical practices as well, but not many clinics or medical spas offer a loyalty or VIP program.

One way to keep your patients from returning is through rewarding them. Have them sign up through a reward program; so for example, their second Botox treatment would be 80% off on their next visit. You could give out coupons to your existing patients, and they can refer you to their family and friends.

Recommendation: Email Marketing Campaign

Digital marketing continues to dominate considering the number of internet users. The most common platforms in marketing to consumers are through the company’s website or social media. However, email marketing is gaining traction as an effective strategy to keep the customer pool intact.

Patient forms could ask the patients to fill up their email addresses up, provided with disclaimers as well.

The task may sound like a handful, but your marketing or office staff can do this task. Companies regularly send their updates through email. The best days to send email blasts are from Tuesdays to Thursdays (between 10 AM to 2 PM). The content does not need to be long or exhaustive; in fact, your email marketing can be concise so long as you include important details that could help your patients return.