Is the Customer, or Patient, Always Right?

May 06, 2013

Is the Customer, or Patient, Always Right? Photo Credit: Carol's Daughter Website

In a recent survey, researchers discovered that allowing chiropractic patients to make choices about their treatment results in significantly higher patient satisfaction scores.

Are your chiropractic patients happy with their treatment? In the same survey, a 75% overall satisfaction rate was also revealed among those visiting a chiropractor. Your services are likely making more patients happy than unhappy.

In another helpful article, we outlined the not-so-secretive, simple way to keep your patients satisfied, as well as increase your business through patient referral: Deliver your best chiropractic adjustment and make a connection with every patient. Simple stuff.

But when it comes to chiropractic marketing, you might want to also consider the fine balance between giving your patients what they want and following your own instinct about your practice and its future.

In a recent online marketing article published by Inc.com, writer Jeremy Quittner showcased entrepreneur Lisa Price, founder of a skin and hair care product company called Carol's Daughter. Price explained how she has found tremendous success by incorporating customer satisfaction into her plans for her company, and how she needed to give up her fear of letting go.

When Price began her business in her kitchen in 1993, she had a vision for where she wanted her company to go, and an interest in creating fragranced skin creams. However, when she talked to her early customers at flea markets and county fairs, they told her that they were looking for better products for caring for textured hair.

Price realized she had to let go of her original vision and give her customers what they were asking for. She knew from her own experience that there was a need for such products, so she worked on creating something better. Hair care products now account for about 70% of Carol's Daughter sales.

Price said, "...Listen to your customer. You may be so wrapped up in what you want to do and the message you want to put forward, but if you don't listen to what she wants, you won't get money from her pocket."

Another lesson Price learned is to give up some control of the little details in her company. When Oprah Winfrey featured Carol's Daughter products on her show in 2002, her online business skyrocketed. She realized that she needed to trust her employees for details such as how the labels were positioned on the bottles.

Giving the customers what they want? It just might pay off for you, too.