I had appointments with two physicians at separate practices. The first clinic’s waiting room had a couple of signs prominently displaying these words:
If you have been waiting longer than 15 minutes, please see the receptionist.
The other clinic posted this sign just as prominently:
Due to the heavy demand for appointments, we are enforcing a $35 appointment cancellation fee.
Which of these practices is thinking about the lifetime value of their patients? Author Seth Godin wrote a short, provocative piece Embracing lifetime value and used a medical practice in his examples. I recommend it.
So let’s look at my experience at each of these clinics. My appointments were both scheduled for late in the afternoon, among the last appointments of the day for each physician. At the first clinic, I was escorted to the exam room after about 15 minutes, and saw the physician after a brief interaction with his nurse. The doctor was running “a little behind,” which I knew from the moment I checked in at the reception desk. He spent plenty of time with me, and I was well cared for.
After waiting for 25 minutes at the second clinic, I was escorted to an examination room and told “the doctor will be right with you.” Twenty minutes later, I was told he was running “a little behind.” After an hour, I left the office. I won’t be back.
Which of these clinics seeks to maximize the lifetime value of their patients as customers? Which of these clinics is like yours?
