Patients Rate Doctors. How Do You Feel About Rating Patients?
Instead of giving advice today, I'm going to ask for your feedback on a controversial technique employed by some optometrists — rating patients based on how much they spend.
The concept is straightforward. Patients who spend more than average on services and eyewear are rated as an A and their files are coded accordingly.
Good patients who spend in the average range are rated as B patients. Patients who spend very little in the practice are rated as C patients.
Do Big Spenders Deserve Better Treatment?
It's very much like a frequent flyer program — the more money someone spends in a practice, the higher they are rated. And, presumably, the better they are treated in terms of preferred appointment times and personal service.
To be clear, we’re not talking about giving anyone less than the best you have to offer in terms of eyecare or treatment.
Nor does this suggest that you or your staff be any less courteous to the most needy patient you see.
What we are talking about is creating a way for you and your staff to be extra attentive so you can go the extra mile for patients who do a lot of business with you.
You Are Currently Being Rated By Patients And Suppliers
Before you express too much outrage and indignation about the idea of rating patients based on how much money they spend in your office keep this in mind: Numerous websites currently exist for the sole purpose of allowing consumers to give a very public rating on how they view the care the received in your practice.
Plus, every one of your major frame and lens suppliers currently rates your practice as an A, B or C, depending on how much business you do with them. Right or wrong, suppliers have rated your practice on that basis for as long as you have been in business.
Is Turnabout Fair Play?
To further clarify, I am not advocating the practice of rating patients. But, I can certainly see its merits.
One group of practitioners I discussed the idea with voiced strong opposition to the concept of a formal rating system and assured me that they treated all their patients exactly the same, regardless of how much they spend in the practice.
But do they really?
Let’s suppose you have a new receptionist. One day a loyal patient who has purchased several pair of glasses from you recently calls to request that you stay open 30 minutes later than normal on a Friday afternoon. She needs to pick up her new - very expensive - designer sunglasses for a last minute trip to the beach on Saturday.
The standard answer might always be, “I’m sorry, we close at 5 o’clock”. How would a new employee know that for a chosen few, the appropriate response should be, “Just tell us when you want to come by”?
Would you not be more accommodating to this special patient than someone who comes in infrequently and price shops their spectacle prescription?
And what about preferred exam times? Is there anything wrong with advising patients on your least desirable third party plan that you won't see them in your prime 3pm and 4pm slots?
Again, I’m not taking a position, I’m merely asking for your opinion on the matter.
E-mail Your Opinions And Let Me Know How You Feel
Here’s what I would like you to do: Look at the options I have listed below and e-mail any thoughts you have on the topic. Click here to send me an e-mail.
I look forward to hearing from you.
A - I rate my patients now and see nothing wrong with it. Here is how we do it.
B - We don’t currently use this technique, but I like the idea and would consider doing it in the future.
C - I don’t rate patients on how much they spend, just on good or bad behavior.
D - There is no scenario in which I would be comfortable rating patients based on how much they spend in my practice.
E - None of the above, my thoughts are…
Regards,
Jerry Hayes, OD
Disclaimer: The information and opinions contained on this site are for discussion purposes only and are NOT intended to serve as legal, accounting or investment advice. ©2009 Jerry Hayes, OD. Not to be reproduced without written permission of the author.
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We do not deliver any
We do not deliver any different standard of care between any class of patients. In thinking about the question, I look at how much a patient spends in our office just as another behavior that needs to be taken into account in order to service the patient properly. Some patient requires different treatment than others, like engineers or person from different cultures. I think any person who spends a lot of money in our office, or anywhere in the free market, there is going to expectation of better customer service. If you accept a variety of insurances plan where patient will come to your office that have different access and attitudes about how much they will spend on Eyewear, then grading patients will only help you deliver better service to each patient. If you have developed a niche, then you have already sorted out many of those issues and have little issue with patient diversity or spending habits. We don't "grade" patient in how much they spend but since we have been EMR for many years now, it is easy to see how much they have spend when servicing the patient and that information can be seen by staff anytime it's needed.
There is not formal rating
There is not formal rating system in our office. That being said, each patient leaves an impression on me and on my staff. These impressions reflect how we behave toward the patient. The results may not be so much economical as a true connection to those who are loyal and grateful for our services versus those who view our practice as an outlet for outrageous demand.
Perhaps this declaration is only the result of meta cognition as I am sure that we all to this to a larger or lesser degree; it is human nature. I like the idea of a formal system and can see how identifying our ideal clients can help the business financially and emotionally.