16th Dec 2008
Extreme Chiropractic Makeover – Quick Fixes Don’t Work
“We Mean Business” is a new TV show, sponsored by Dell Computers, on the A&E network. The latest show features the “makeover” of a chiropractic office called Spinal Fit in Redondo Beach, California. The makeover team came in with guns blazing to save the office from its primary problem: lack of patients.
Their solutions:
1. A new networked computer system (provided by Dell, of course) and QuickBooks. And new appointment software (not sure what this was(.
2. New front door and reception room decor, with a big computer screen (provided by Dell, of course) to show off the services the office provides.
3. New seminar room with a computer and digital video projector (provided by you-know-who) so the doctor could show videos for patient lectures.
Of course, the team left, and now what? Is this stuff supposed to fix all the doctor’s problems?
1. Sure, they showed the staff how to use QuickBooks and the appointment scheduling software. But did they teach them how to cluster book or to re-schedule patients or do recalls, to get lapsed patients back in? I’m betting not.
2. The lovely new waiting room probably will make patients feel more comfortable while waiting. But why did they have that many patients waiting? The number one complaint by patients in all health care practices is … waiting time. It would have been better if the rescue team spent more time teaching the doctor how to move patients through the office more efficiently.
3. The new seminar room will give the doctor a space for lay lectures, new patient lectures. But does he know how to give a presentation with lots of good emotional and factual punches, and a “call to action”? Did he really learn how to get people to sign up? And stay? Probably not.
My problem with extreme makeover shows and especially shows like this for businesses is that they over-simplify the problem. The decor, the computer system, and the lack of a space to hold lectures in the office is NOT this doctor’s problem. I would like to go back to this office in a year and see how he’s doing. If he’s doing well, that’s great. But if he hasn’t solved the more essential problem of getting and keeping patients, don’t be surprised. What do you think?
Computer Financing
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My thoughts exactly Doc.
In addition, the narrator of the show talks about his PT room as a kind of torture chamber. When they took that out, they would have removed 75% of his income.
Some of the good that I took away from that show was:
1. The signs on the front window were nice and informative and professional looking. They didn’t look quite as good from the inside..but as we all know, the hardest part about chiropractic is getting someone to step through the front door
2. I didn’t see his decompression table or room even though it was advertised on the front of the office.
3. He was obviously practicing pettibon and seemed to have a good handle on his business..if he was making $30,000 “last month.” What kind of overhead does a guy have to have that he’s going under at $30,000 per month???
4. The “technologies” that were implemented, other than doing talks will do little for the success of his practice. Wasting time on Quickbooks and having 25 people standing out front on your opening day for exams is not how a practice really runs.
5. Although going to the gym is great for getting new patients, you’ll quickly get kicked out by the management if you walk around harassing the people trying to exercise there. Although you need to push your business, you’d better be darn sure that it’s ok for you to annoy the customers.
Good luck!
Jay Hafner, DC
Chiropractor in Lakewood, CO
http://www.HafnerChiropractic.com
Chiropractor
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