Let Your Massage Service Shine Five-Star Customer Service

As a professional service provider, you already know how important providing excellent customer service is to the success of your business. But did you know that it costs five times more to obtain a new customer than to retain an existing one? Since a business can’t grow without clients, the marketing and onboarding expenses associated with new client acquisition are an expected cost.

However, by implementing a robust client retention plan, you can reduce your overall costs and still keep your business fully booked. The savings realized from serving existing clients over pursuing new ones can be significant. According to Khalid Saleh, CEO of Invesp, each 5% increase in your customer retention rate has the potential to increase your organization’s profits from 25% to 95%. Those are profits that you can later invest in obtaining new clients and growing your business.

Wondering what the value of each of your loyal clients is? Use the formula provided by Brad Sugars in this Entrepreneur article, How to Calculate the Lifetime Value of a Customer.

Additionally, when your clients are exceptionally pleased with your services, they may become advocates for your business. By providing each of your clients with great customer service you can increase your client’s satisfaction and your profits. Generating this kind of client loyalty and affection only happens, though, if your customer service goes above and beyond expectations.

Delivering Quality Customer Service for Retention and Growth
How can your massage therapy practice go above and beyond to retain clients and gain advocates? Try some of the tips listed below:

Listen to your client’s input.
In her article, The Secret to Outstanding Spa Customer Service, Beverly Fox-Crismond writes that the best way to serve your clients is to give them what they want; and the best way to find out what your clients want is to listen to them. Before, during, and after your client’s treatment session, make an effort to intentionally listen and respond to what they have to say. Check your online reviews often and be open to making changes to your work practices to meet changing customer needs.

Make your customers’ lives easier
The more you reduce the stress in someone else’s life, the more they will appreciate you. This article by Rob Lovitt, Eliminating Friction: 4 Ways to Facilitate More Patient Contacts, highlights the importance of having an easy-to-navigate website that allows your clients to quickly find information about your practice. Clients also want several options for contacting you and booking appointments.

Joshua Newman, Chief Medical Officer and GM at Salesforce Healthcare and Life Sciences, commenting on Salesforce.com’s 2016 Connected Patient Report, noted that “Patients today are choosing their providers, in part, based on how well they use technology to communicate with them and manage their health.” He refers to the use of multiple technologies to stay in touch with patients as providing “care-from-anywhere.”

Demonstrate appreciation for your clients.
If you appreciate your loyal clients, don’t keep it a secret. There are many ways that you can tell your customers that you value them. Customer appreciation events, loyalty programs, special discounts, and handwritten thank-you cards are just a few of the ways that you can actively show your customers that they are important to you. And don’t forget to tell your clients that you appreciate their reviews and referrals. Sometimes, to get what you want, all you need to do is ask!

Use technology, but don’t forget to add a personal touch.
Technology should enhance the personal care and attention that you provide to each of your clients--not replace it. Even though modern clients have high expectations when it comes to the use of technology, they still want personalized care. That’s one of the reasons listening to each patient’s feedback is so important.

Simple steps such as remembering a client’s name and making eye contact when speaking to your client are important for building rapport. Additionally, taking the time to personally answer questions that you receive via email or social media is a great way to build up your personal credibility with your clients.

Further, you’ll be more memorable to your clients if you personalize their experience by remembering what matters to them. Your ClinicSense massage therapy practice management toolkit can help. For example, ClinicSense’s sales and marketing tools can be used to send out personalized emails on client birthdays and other special occasions. Additionally, our electronic SOAP notes allow you to quickly add personal notes and reminders about each individual patient’s care.

Finally, ensure that each member of your team understands the importance of treating each client as an individual. Create a culture of caring within your organization and encourage your staff to put customer service first.

Put Your Massage Therapy Practice in the Spotlight
As the marketplace becomes more crowded and consumers more selective, customer experience expert Joey Coleman calls customer service “the last great differentiator.” You have the power to design an experience for your clients that is as unique as your business. Let ClinicSense customer service tools help you. Then, let your business shine by providing a great experience for each person who walks through your door and enjoy the rewards of success.