Birthday Loyalty Programs
- Posted on: May 1 2019
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Loyalty reward programs are a powerful and often overlooked tool for encouraging patient retention, boosting referrals, and adding to practice growth. Beautiful Forever Aesthetic consultants work with practices to put these programs into place. These reward programs are automated to keep up with birthdays and other important dates to remember. The more creative the program, the more excitement generated among patients.
As stated in my book, Beautifully Profitable/Forever Profitable, now its 6th edition, “In a successful Medical Practice, patient referrals generally account for up to 80% of the patient volume of the practice. Most of these referrals will result from your practice providing excellent service and results. This equals happy patients. There are many different types of creative incentives a practice can offer to express appreciation for a patient’s business and loyalty. Referral recognition, in particular, reminds a patient that the trust placed in the practice is valued and appreciated.”
An effective tool to remind patients that you are thinking of them and appreciate their patronage is by remembering them on their birthdays. A patient’s birthday is an excellent opportunity to make them feel special.
Some practices elect to send a VIP bouquet of flowers on their patients’ birthdays along with hand written notes. Women make up over 80% of the aesthetic market. So, while this works well for women, don’t forget your male patients. What would this group most enjoy receiving as a small token of appreciation? Customize a gift certificate that would appeal to men’s tastes. Remember to always keep patient demographics in mind.
Another idea to consider is offering your loyal patients a complimentary service for themselves (and a friend) on their own special day. Decide on a set amount that may be applied towards a treatment – perhaps $25-$100. The service needn’t be extraordinary with a high disposable cost or a large time commitment from your staff. Offer a gratis medical spa treat, for example a chemical peel and mini facial or a microdermabrasion. The added benefit of extending the offer to both your patient and a friend is the opportunity to introduce a new potential patient to your practice. Create a staff video wishing that patient a happy birthday. These little touches go a long way toward patient referrals, great WOM (word of mouth) marketing.
Finding ‘extra’ time in the day to write personal notes, to compile birthday lists or referral lists does require effort and can seem daunting for busy practices. The resulting impact on a practice’s growth in patient numbers and monthly income, however, is worth the investment. Designate an administrative team member (or even an involved clinical employee with a little extra time and initiative) to oversee reward programs for your practice. Collect data on gift certificates that are redeemed, and which generate additional income. These simple gestures give patients reasons to visit your practice and to strengthen your relationship year after year. You’ll find the time invested is well worth it!
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