Have you ever had this experience:
You see an ad or offer for some amazing deal for a company of which you’re a long-time customer – something big, like “50% off a year’s membership?” Wow, you want to take advantage of that! But you can’t because there’s only one catch: The offer is for new customers only.
Many healthcare practices make the mistake of ignoring their biggest source of income: returning patients. OK, maybe not “ignoring” them completely, but giving them the short end of the stick when it comes to attention, special offers and the like.
It’s natural that getting new patients should be a key part of your marketing strategy. After all, every practice needs new patients to survive and grow. But the bulk of your time and attention should go to your existing patients. Why?
Here are just a few reasons:
They’re already loyal patients.- It costs less to keep them satisfied and use your care than it does to replace them.
- Keep them happy and they’ll tell friends about your practice.
What can you do to provide better treatment for your regular patients?
Here are some ideas:
- Hold special events just for loyal patients.
- Offer them early access to new products or services.
- Give them the chance to lock in all their appointments for the rest of the year (maybe give them a discount for doing so if they also pay up-front for these appointments).
- Personalise your customer service, offers and interactions. You can even greet them appropriately when they call your practice!
It’s OK to create special offers and deals for new patients only – just be sure you provide equivalent or better rewards for patients who have shown their loyalty to your practice.
