When it comes to running a business, ensuring your customers feel comfortable on your premises and that they can get their services as quickly as possible is essential for having any sort of success.
Indeed, no matter how good your products or services are, if your vendors are unfriendly and your shops are shabby, chances are – you’re not going to be getting a constant flow of new customers in the long run.
It is true of all businesses, whether you’re selling vegetables on the side of the street or you are making big international deals on selling nuclear fuel.
Perhaps one of the best examples of why treating your customers right is very important for the success of your business venture would be running a clinic or any sort of health-related facility.
The thing is, when a patient comes to your clinic to seek treatment, in choosing you over other clinics, they entrust you with their physical well-being.
So, ensuring they not only get the best service there but that they feel comfortable and supported throughout the process is what either makes or breaks a private medical facility.
In this article, we’re going to talk about what measures you can take to make your patients feel welcomed and secure when they visit your clinic. As you will see, a little bit of well-thought-out home décor (or in this case, clinic décor) goes a long way.
Here’s the deal.
Keep Things Clean & Tidy
While every business that hopes to achieve any kind of success in their line of work needs to keep their premises clean, if you’re running a clinic, you should put the extra accent on the cleanliness of the entire building.
Imagine how terribly your reputation as a health-provider would suffer if a patient were to contract a disease while waiting for their exam with your doctor because the waiting room is dirty and not properly sanitized.
To prevent this horrible turn of events, make sure to keep your rooms and equipment clean and well-kept.
When a patient enters a clinic that looks and smells nice, they are going to be much more willing to spend money there and establish a long-term trusting relationship with the medical staff.
Fit Comfortable Furniture
One of the most common patient complaints in clinics is the waiting time.
The thing is, no matter how well you plan out your day and how well you schedule each appointment, you can never tell precisely how long each examination is going to last, as this depends on the physician in question.
Since you can anticipate that some patients are going to have to spend some time in the waiting rooms, you might as well fit some comfortable furniture in them so that the patients who are waiting for their appointment feel comfortable.
If you aren’t sure what furniture to get for this purpose, you can always consult a clinic décor professional, or look for pre-arranged dental fit-out solutions, in case you’re running a dental clinic.
Set up Some Wall Art
… but do keep in mind that the art you hang up on the wall needs to project an atmosphere of sedateness and tranquility rather than send some sort of artistic message.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a large and detailed painting of Napoleon Bonaparte on his horse, but a clinic may not be the best place for that sort of art. (Unless the clinic is in France and it’s a station of a military medic and it’s early 19th century.)
Anyway, whatever wall art or even sculptures you fit in the waiting room, make sure they promote an atmosphere of patience and relaxation.
Provide Distractions in the Waiting Room
If the waiting time for an appointment is a couple of minutes, the patient will be happy to stare at a wall or daydream before getting to see their physician of choice.
On the other hand, if they have to wait for something like half an hour or more, it’s useful if you provide them with some means of distraction.
For example, fitting a Wi-Fi network they can hop onto via their smartphones and other gadgets can be a great way to allow your patients not only to keep themselves busy while waiting but also to consume the sort of content they like.
Also, buying popular newspapers daily and a couple of weekly or monthly magazines can also be a great way to keep your patients occupied until they can enter the doctor’s office for their appointment.
All in all, dealing with people who come to you concerned for their health and seeking medical aid is a sensitive line of work that should be approached carefully and thoughtfully.
The bottom line is if you can keep your patients comfortable while waiting for their appointment, chances are – they’re going to trust you, and you’re going to be their first option in case they need medical attention in the future.
