An acupuncture practitioner is only as good as the staff that is behind him or her. If an acupuncturists have excellent staff that works in conjunction with them, that practice will thrive. However, even a good practitioner with a lazy or unproductive staff will definitely feel the pinch in the wallet when things do not go well.

So the first rule of patient retention is to have all staff members on the same page. Have regular meetings with staff and let them know what is expected of them.  Tell them what you expect from them and show them how to be proactive with patients rather than reactive.

Here is an example. Mr. Brown leaves the treatment room and has been instructed to return in two weeks. The receptionist should say to Mr. Brown, “I see you are returning in two weeks, I have Thursday at 3:00pm available.”  If the patient hedges, she should say, “I know you like the late afternoon appointments and they do book very quickly” to let him know this time might not be available later.

That is an example of how a patient should be handled. An example of how it should not be handled would be the receptionist asks Mr. Brown when he would like to come back.  This offers the patient an easy way to postpone booking the return appointment.

Another way to improve patient retention is to have your staff take down the names and phone numbers of patients who do not rebook for the next acupuncture treatment at the time they are in the office. Have them call to remind the patient that they need to come in if they have not scheduled and get them to schedule at that time. This has proven to be much more effective than sending out postcards or other correspondence.

For most patients their first contact with any practitioners’ office will be through a phone call.  It is very important to remind staff members to keep the smile in their voice when dealing with patients on the phone. This is especially true of new patients. They want to feel that they are being invited to use the services offered and have a pleasant experience while using the services in the office.

One way to make sure that this is being carried out is to call the office at random times from an undisclosed phone number. Listen to the tone and cadence of the person who answers the phone. Evaluate how they answered the phone.  Another is to ask a friend to call and pretend to be a patient looking for an appointment time or inquiring about services. Give them a few criteria to evaluate the office person’s phone etiquette. If there are problems work with staff members to improve these issues.

Next take a good look at your front office or waiting area. Is it open and inviting? Is there comfortable seating and material for patients to read while waiting to be seen? A relaxed environment will help a patient feel more comfortable and at home with the acupuncture office in general. The more comfortable a patient feels, the better the chances are they will return for further treatment in the future.