If you've been a Williams Group consulting client, then you know we have a best practice called a Quarterly Walk-Through. It's pretty simple and fun! During one weekly team meeting (another best practice that we stand by) each quarter, take 30 minutes to walk, as a team, from the parking area through the entire patient path in-office, through checkout, and finally, exit the building just as your patients do every day. Have one person take notes. Everyone can contribute their thoughts about this experience. Think about sights, sounds, smells, and touch:
- What signage greets you and how does it look?
- What is the message and feel of the message?
- Is the parking lot clean and pleasant?
- How about the landscaping?
- Is the glass on the front door clear and spotless?
- Is the handle sticky?
- Are there bells or buzzers upon entry and, if so, how does this make you feel?
- Are the carpets worn or do they look fresh?
Really get into the details! Once you've walked the whole path, make an agreement to go through that list of experiences at the next meeting, and sort them into positives and negatives. Then take the negatives and sort that pile into things you can improve and things you can't control or change. Now divvy up the ones that are within your power to change and get to it!
Next, do an online walk-through! Same steps. At each point in a patient or potential patient journey through your digital space, make notes as a team of all the same qualities you paid attention to during the physical walk-through:
- Is your website easy to find, updated, and full of useful information?
- How does it make you feel?
- Is it clean or cluttered?
- Can you find the practice Facebook page and other social media pages that you use?
- How does the content make you feel?
- How about reviews?
- Are they mostly positive or have some negative ones snuck in there recently?
Review this list at your next meeting and go through the same sorting and action plan process as you did for your physical walk-through.
You'll be amazed how small tweaks here and there can make all the difference in how your patients perceive your business, whether visiting in person or online.
