Dex Comm White Paper Revised 4a
2017-10-23
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A Proven
Method to
Increase
Appointments
And Optimize
Your Bottom Line
Advertising tactics that worked in the past to make the
phones ring are not as effective in today’s internet centric,
high velocity marketplace. As a busy physician, taking
on additional responsibilities for marketing and contact
management are not high on the to-do list. However, as
operating costs increase, competition from alternate
providers intensies and prot margins shrink, the role
of securing new patients and to responsibly optimizing
revenue per patient is critically important. As the
economy improves and overall spending on aesthetic
medical services increases, it will attract new competitors
and encourage existing competitors to expand service
offerings while amplifying their advertising messages. It
is more important than ever that every point of contact
with a patient and potential patient is optimized.
The aging population and an increasingly favorable public
perception of plastic surgery have been driving forces
behind the recent rise in industry demand. In addition,
cosmetic surgery is no longer reserved for the wealthy
or famous. Elective medical nancing for cosmetic
procedures is readily available for patients at almost any
budget level.
Despite the improving economy, the industry is hampered by
rising external competition. Competition has been especially
prevalent with me
dical spas and nontraditional providers,
which offer nonsurgical procedures that make up an
increasing portion of industry demand. While surgical
procedures have long been the mainstay of cosmetic
surgery, it is in the noninvasive arena where growth in demand
will be strongest. This intense competition will drive an
increase in acquisition based marketing strategies, which
are characterized by promotional prices and incentives.
Ironically this has created a new breed of informed and
promiscuous consumers. With $16.5 billion at stake
and competitors swimming around you, it is critically
important to maximize your patients’ and prospective
patients’ experience at every touchpoint. Fortunately or
unfortunately, there are several points of contact before
and after the patient consultation in your ofce. If you are
like so many other businesses–you are receiving contacts
by phone, email, social media, and possibly web forms.
Is your staff prepared to manage these contacts in a
manner that is aligned with your reputation, meets their
needs, and is consistent with every contact? If you
think it sounds like a nice thing to say, but it doesn’t
really mean much, think again—each impression can
make or break your patients’ opinion of your practice
and if they don’t like the impression given, guess what?
They’ll move on to do business with your competitors.
1IBIS World US Specialized Industry Reports, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. ‘Lift and Tuck
Revenue Will Continue to Rise, but Competition From Med Spas Will Threaten Growth.’ August
2016. Author: Dimitry Diment
1
‘Business is great but I could be busier.’
If this sounds a bit familiar, you are not alone.
In the next ve years it is
estimated that revenue for
Aesthetic Medical Services
will continue to increase at
an average rate of 3.1% per
year to $16.5 billion.1
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
i
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
Every customer touchpoint is a test of the entire practice
and your promise of care. All the advertising, online
development, networking, and referrals are challenged
when a patient or prospective patient and your staff make
a connection. That one experience is the culmination of
the time, money and materials that you invested in building
a protable relationship. It could result in a long-term
protable relationship or the outcome of that touchpoint
could become memorable for all the wrong reasons. When
your practice goes on trial, it comes in the form of phone
calls, emails, and web forms. This is your opportunity to
deliver the kind of experience that transcends the ordinary
and differentiates your practice. Like it or not, consciously
or not, patients evaluate their healthcare relationship
every time they touch your practice. Learning to manage
the experience every time the phone rings or inbox chimes
is an essential skill to maintain and build business.
The only thing worse than a mishandled call or email
is the one that is missed. When it comes to emails
and website inquiries, the expected response times have
accelerated from four hours in 2014 to less than an hour
in 2016. The wide use of smartphones and the inuence
of tech afuent millennials is pushing that expectancy to
shorter intervals.
This sounds like a huge burden to place on the shoulders
of your receptionist and it is. Managing the patient’s
experience is not about abdicating it to the front line
staff. A patient or prospective patient’s experience at
every touchpoint is a value proposition that needs to be
managed consistently to be optimized.
2
Your Practice Is On Trial Before They Even Meet You.
It is reported that 1 in 5 business calls are abandoned before
answered. Of those answered, 7 out of 10 callers are put on
hold; the average hold time is 38 seconds. Contact Center
studies show that more than half of the callers placed on hold
will abandon within 15 seconds of being put on hold. A widely
reported metric for a call abandonment rate for calls placed on
hold is between 5-8%.
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
It was not so long ago that the way in which you perceived your practice and the expectation for how contacts between a
patient and your staff engaged were completely disconnected. But that is changing fast! There are ve criteria that provide
a foundation for positive, sustainable customer contact management. It is important that these criteria are considered as
it relates to every touchpoint and that the entire staff shares a single vision on what these criteria means to your practice
and your patients. A differentiated experience must reect a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s needs, the
ability to anticipate needs that have not been articulated, consistency, patient appreciation, and to deliver more than what is
expected. It is a very unique challenge to seamlessly integrate these directives, but they are truly indicative of the customer
contact experience being a real priority.
3
How to Improve your customer’s experience.
THE FIVE CRITERIA
US Internet Users by Device
2015-2021
millions
32.1 36.6 40.7 44.5 47.2 49.8 52.3
10.7
11.512.9
15.2
17.9
20.3
24.7
204.0 210.4 214.6 218.3 221.1 222.6 223.5
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Mobile-only internet users
Dual Mobile* and Desktop/laptop internet users
Desktop/laptop-only internet users
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
1.UNDERSTAND THE NEED
In today’s internet centric marketplace, understanding
a patient’s needs transcends a list of Frequently Asked
Questions. Consumer trends for researching
healthcare and making purchase decisions are fueled
by access to internet resources. It is not unusual that
during the research phase, a potential patient will reach
out via email, web form, and even on social media to
ask a specific question. As depicted in the chart below,
with the increased availability of smartphones and
tablets, the allocation of time using devices to access
content and advertising media has shifted and will
continue to shift dramatically. There are fewer and
fewer consumers using a desktop computer on their
desk at work. With the portability of smart devices, the
time of day that is used for these tasks has expanded
to time slots outside of the traditional work day.
1
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
2. ANTICIPATE NEEDS
The proliferation of information and ease of access to it via technology is changing the dynamics between
front line ofce staff and the patient. It is not unusual that a patient believes that they know the exact
service or procedure needed to achieve their goals. It takes a motivated, trained staff to listen for or
inquire to the patient’s goals. In understanding a patient’s age, lifestyle, and goals–there can be a more
accurate assessment of services or procedures to achieve their desired results and maintain a smooth
daily schedule. This will signicantly improve the booking process and ultimately the patient’s experience.
Technology and WebMD should never replace judgement and customer care principles at any level.
3. BE CONSISTENT
Your patient and prospective patients are not interested in the complexities of managing your staff, juggling
tasks, or trying to cover a growing number of communication channels. All they are interested in is their
own experience. It is disastrous to any touchpoint if they believe the quality of that contact is subject to a
roll of the dice or the staff person who responds. Consistency requires being able to address the unique
needs or questions of each contact in a timely, predictable manner that is consistent with the reputation or
image of your practice. Consistency does not rule out the possibility that some staff members are better
than others with these types of contacts but a commitment to consistency will mitigate a complacency
that exists today.
4. KEEP PATIENTS FIRST
Every communication and interaction is a chance to make patients feel valued, so make the most of every
personal and digital opportunity. Develop ways to turn every message and moment with the patient into an
intimate point of contact that makes them feel special. Spending a few minutes in casual conversation
with each patient can form meaningful bonds that build connections. The more you know about your
customers the more value they can deliver, in the form of referrals and repeat business. Gaining a
reputation for great customer service is going to get you word-of-mouth attention that again can help
build a loyal customer base.
5. GIVE MORE
It’s no coincidence that a number of companies delivering an unmatched customer experience are among
the elite. A leader in the eld, Amazon, knows their customer’s preferences, offers multiple delivery service
options and proactively suggests products. These messages are clearly and consistently communicated
to their employees and customers. Rather than focusing a great deal of attention to devising processes
to serve the average patient, invest time determining who are your best customer segments and identify
ways to create an exceptional experience for them.
2
3
4
5
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
4
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
5
If at this point you are wondering how you can provide a
distinct customer contact experience in a consistent way
while maintaining operations within your practice with
virtually the same staff you have in place, the answer is
maybe you shouldn’t. Your staff is with you for a reason;
we trust that you’ve built a team that is great at managing
patients in the ofce, effective at booking appointments,
handles billing well and/or is exceptional at managing you.
However, as we mentioned earlier: 1 in 5 incoming calls
are going unanswered because they drop off before
answered. This means you are missing up to 20% of
your potential revenue generating leads.
Let’s try to quantify the lost opportunity. If your ofce staff
records 175 callers per month, this means that an additional
35 callers went unanswered. According to research 34% of
those callers will never ring back, that’s 12 callers. If you
were able to capture those 12 callers and book 70% for a
consultation, that’s 8 prospects. With condence in your
ability to develop a trusting relationship during the consult,
we estimate that 50% schedule a procedure or service. If
we conservatively calculate lost revenue using an average
patient revenue of $2,295 per opportunity this sums to
$9,180 for the month. This conservative gure does not
account for missed opportunities with email, web form or
social media leads.
The missed-opportunity cost of customer contact
management could be more that you can ignore. Perhaps
upgrading the patient’s experience to a professional contact
center is the most economical solution.
Congratulations, you have grown so big that your
existing staff cannot handle all of the incoming
contacts and their other ofce duties.
Some important things to consider in an outsourced
contact center partner:
•Can your contact center communicate with your
customers effectively? Think about language, dialect,
customs and accent barriers. In one study, customer
service representatives who were not perceived as
speaking clearly only resolved customer issues 45% of
the time.
•How much training is available in aesthetic terminology
and processes specic to your practice and procedures?
•How seamlessly will they onboard your practice to their
operation?
•What technology and processes do they use to
intelligently route calls? What network protection
measures are in place?
•How transparent are they with quality assurance
measures, training certications and key performance
indicators?
The best customer experiences are delivered when the
customer contact center is completely embedded with your
practice’s goals, messages, and processes. Your patient
experiences can only be as good as the people who are
placed on the end of every telephone call, email or web
form. They have the unique opportunity to strengthen your
relationships every time a patient or prospective patient
reaches out.
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
How to Improve your customer’s experience.
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
6
As the economy improves, aesthetic services will continue
to become more mainstream and with elective medical
nancing available for almost every budget the prospective
audience expands. This will surely lead to the competitive
landscape becoming more aggressive. Ubiquitous access
to online resources has changed the way consumers seek
information and referrals. Mobile technology is shifting
the time of inquiries and the expectations for response. To
optimize the balance of resources and cost, it is imperative
that Aesthetic Medicine practitioners look for strong partners
to build an exceptional customer relationship process that
provides consistently exceptional service at every touchpoint.
A CONSULTATION ON THE INDUSTRY
Our story:Dexcomm was founded in November of 1954. It
began with a few ladies at switchboards lined up in two rows
and a handful of local customers. Although the switchboards
are long gone, due to our ability to adapt and embrace new
trends in the ever changing technologically driven world—we
now serve customers in over 40 states.
Our Values:If you are ever privy to have a seat at one of
our orientation meetings, then you will hear from Dexcomm’s
owner Jamey Hopper, “If you can’t have compassionate,
professional concern for our customers, clients, and
coworkers, then you can’t work here.” It’s not just a statement
that we put up on our website for those who are browsing or
potential customers to read. These are the values that our
company members must agree to live by.
Our Staff: We have a motto—we hire for t and train for skill.
You can train someone to use a computer system or improve
skills that they already have. The ability to treat people
compassionately, however, is something that is innate—these
are the people that we choose to hire. Due to this, anyone
contacting our company to reach yours will be treated with
understanding and respect, no matter the circumstance.
Our Training:In order to put our best foot forward for our
customers and their callers, we have developed proprietary
training programs structured by a curriculum expert. We train
all of our operators for a minimum of four weeks before they
are allowed to engage with any callers. Anyone answering
calls for clients in the medical Industry must also attend and
pass a series of courses developed and taught by our three
Registered Nurses on staff. These certications are based on
our decades of experience with call answering and customer
service, and each of our operators undergoes continuing
HIPAA compliance education with our compliance attorney.
Calls are intelligently routed based on the level of training that
the operator on duty has received.
How We Operate:Believing that we should continuously
improve the service we provide—we have put into place a
stringent internal Quality Assurance process. We have staff
members strictly devoted to listening to calls and grading our
operators on their call handling abilities. With these measures
in place, we can continue to ensure that your caller is in fact
receiving the highest quality service.
Industry Expert Satisfaction:
Our client service ratings
have earned us the ATSI award of excellence for the past 14
consecutive years in addition to the CAM-X award of excellence,
which we have received over the last 9 years consecutively.
About Dexcomm
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
DEXCOMM | LEARN.DEXCOMM.COM/CONSULT | 337.236.8300
1. Are you prepared to increase the efciency of your
ofce staff, eliminate missed calls, and ensure that
all contacts are handled consistently?
2. Are you ready to have a reputation for providing
consistently exceptional customer service?
3. What is your lost revenue and impact to prot
margin for not nding a Contact Center partner as
strong as Dexcomm?
For the optimal answers,
contact Dexcomm at info@dexcomm.com
or call us at 337.236.8300
We have three
simple questions for you:
