Picture walking into a med spa and being warmly greeted by name and offered a beverage of your choice while you wait.
Then, in the treatment room, you choose your favorite music and aroma. You sit down to relax while your aestetician tells you how the treatment you are about to receive works with your skin type.
You leave feeling taken care of and are already looking forward to your next visit. You feel loyal to the practice.
Sound like the ideal visit?
This example illustrates the experience you want patients to have with your practice.
Patients today increasingly seek bespoke services and experiences.
Personalization involves using patient data and information to customize your offering.
Personalization not only elevates the patient experience, it increases loyalty. In a 2021 survey, 60% of customers said they were more likely to become repeat customers when they had a personalized experience with a brand.
Another study found that personalization increased customer satisfaction by 20% and sales by 10-15%.
Read on to learn a few easy ways to personalize your patients’ experience today and additional longer-term tactics to try.
Easy Ways to Personalize the Patient Experience Today
Welcome Patients By Name
Personalize your patient’s visit from the moment they walk through the door. Train your front desk staff to welcome every patient by smiling and greeting them by name. Addressing someone by name demonstrates respect and is a powerful way to make a positive and lasting first impression.
A warm, personal greeting is especially important for new patients. Multiple research studies show that it takes seconds for someone to form a first impression.
When a patient walks in for their first appointment, your front desk can say something like, “Hi, you must be Cathy. Welcome to Amora Med Spa; we’re happy to have you! I’m Susan, and I’m available to answer any questions you have during your visit today.”
For returning patients, your front desk might say, “Hi Cathy, great to see you! How was your weekend?”
Greeting patients is a small gesture, but it improves their perception of your practice and desire to do business with you.
Get to Know Your Patients
Taking the time to get to know your patients and their preferences builds trust and connection. It also helps you tailor treatments to meet their needs.
Some personal details you may want to keep track of are their profession, names of family members and pets, and major life events.
You’ll also want to keep track of their current skincare routine, areas of concern, and treatment goals. This information can help you suggest new treatments, products, and ways to achieve their desired results.
The best way to keep track of these details is to take notes and store them in the patient’s record in your spa management software or EMR. You can then review these notes before appointments so you’ll be ready with talking points relevant to each patient.
The more you get to know your patients and their preferences, the more they will feel connected to and satisfied with your practice.
Making a Long-Term Investment in Personalization
Treat Patients with Their Favorite Beverage, Music, and Scent
Small, personal touches go a long way. While patients are waiting, offer multiple beverage options like water, juice, coffee, and tea. You may even experiment with custom tea blends with different effects, like relieving stress or boosting energy.
When patients are in the treatment room, offer a choice of music. You can use Spotify or Apple Music to make it easy to rotate between different genres. To add an additional layer of personalization, consider purchasing a diffuser and set of essential oils. Let patients choose their favorite scent to help them relax during the treatment.
Keep a record of each patient’s beverage, music, and aroma preferences and ask them if they’d like to stick with what they had last time or try something new.
A bespoke, multisensory experience creates a positive association with your brand. Patients will remember it long after the visit ends.
Offer Complimentary Skin Care or Other Add-Ons Tailored to Them
Offering complimentary add-ons is a great way to personalize each patient’s experience. It also introduces them to new products and services.
For example, after microneedling, use a serum or moisturizer customized to their skin type or concern and send them home with a sample if you have one. You may also consider offering a complimentary massage or facial that pairs well with their treatment.
These add-ons will make your patient feel special and pampered, and if they like the product or service, they may even make an additional purchase.
When you give out take-home samples, note which product you sent each patient home with in your EMR. The next time they come in, say, “Hey Cathy, how’s the serum working for you?”
These suggestions are just a few easy ways to personalize the patient experience.
To find what works for your clientele, continually test new things and refine your efforts over time. Even customizing a few minor details can go a long way. Personalization helps you stand out from the competition, delights your patients, and keeps them coming back to your practice.
