4 Simple Things You Can Do To Boost Customer Retention & Loyalty

Health care consumers in 2024 are seeking out a better customer experience, and greater value along with a higher quality of care. 

As the shift to consumerism continues, recognising this change and staying ahead of it will ensure you successfully navigate this new era with higher customer retention, better reviews and potentially fewer administrative costs. 

When it comes to wellness, consumers are generally happy enough stay with their current provider, up to 70 percent would consider changing if they could see some meaningful benefits. That’s scary - and an opportunity.

A McKinsey survey in 2021 indicated that 58% of surveyed US consumers indicated they prioritise their personal health and wellness more than they did the same time last year.

They’re open to spending more but are reporting less and less satisfaction with their healthcare providers.

You can look at this weird disconnect (high importance and spending on the one hand vs low satisfaction on the other hand) as a really worrying statistic or a massive chance to grow. 

Taking all of that into account, here are 4 things you can do to boost loyalty and retention and help attract new customers too:

1. Send an email!

Rather than seeing this as sales-driven spam, if you get the content right, 67% of healthcare consumers found emails from healthcare practitioners to be both helpful and interesting.

2. Gather data 

You can do it and it will help personalise your offerings!

A 2020 survey revealed that when it comes to health, 44 percent of people say they are willing to share their personal and health data with healthcare organisations (that is more than double the rate for technology or retail organisations).

This data is a potential gold mine for you with data that will allow you to better tailor your offerings to your customers. 

3. Reviews matter more than ever

When it comes to healthcare, consumers are choosing their clinicians based on input from their peers.

Consumers are twice as likely to book an appointment with a clinician who has more than 50 reviews than with one who has none.

Ask your receptionist to ask for a review! Pop a QR code at the reception desk taking your customers to a review web site while the memory of their consultation is fresh in the mind!

4. Look at your availability

Everyone is time poor these days. Waiting for ages with an ancient stained copy of Readers Digest for company is not popular.

Nearly two-thirds of surveyed consumers reported that they sought care elsewhere when they encountered a wait time they perceived to be long.

If you tend to run late, now is the time to review your schedule and insert gaps to makeup time.

You might need to consider working extended hours as well to ensure your customers and patients can see you when it suits them!!