We chiropractors love lists: the "Top 5 Best New Tables" or "6 Ways to Avoid No-Shows" and all that kind of stuff. No publication seems to be without their yearly or even monthly tribute to David Letterman.
To be blunt, your patients can be somewhat offended by your chiropractic office. No, it's not the color of your paint or the music you are playing. (Well, actually, it may be your decor and the music you are playing, but more on that below.) It's the fact that over the years, you have practiced on autopilot and failed to take notice of things that may not present your business in the best light to your patients.
Furthermore, when I visit my clients' offices, I cannot see the point or the purpose of some of these items, either - and I am a chiropractor just like you! So, while this list may not be exhaustive, it is certainly definitive. Here are the items that may need your immediate attention, in no particular order:
1. Ancient Posters and Petrified Pests
Your patients may already be nervous about coming to the chiropractor and your "subluxation: silent killer" posters from the '70s aren't helping. I have no problem with using educational artwork; just make sure it looks like it was created this century. That means posters with yellow, crinkled edges, coffee or blood stains, boogers and other identifiable objects stuck to the glass will have to go. Similarly, all the spiders, mosquitoes and other dead vermin living in the overhead fluorescent lights need to be exterminated or removed as well. Your patients lie on their back in fear of one of these petrified pests falling on them. Sorry for being so graphic, but I have seen your offices and I have been very frightened by some of them.
2. Your Antiquated X-Ray Machine and Darkroom
A surprise to many DCs is how little profit their X-ray machine produces. An occasionally used machine is often an expense and not a profit center, once the costs of maintenance and supplies are factored in. Do the math and either get rid of your aging monster altogether or take a step into the 21st century. Have you not seen digital radiography? Not only is it cheaper to operate, but it also allows you to manipulate the images on your computer and avoid retakes. The savings in time, the immediate and continual return on investment, and the fact that your machine will no longer appear like something that belongs in the Smithsonian makes this a virtual no-brainer.
3. Post-Dated Checks and Endless Statements
There simply is no reason to chase patients for money if proper planning has been initiated. Even more importantly, there is absolutely no reason to let finances get in the way of a patient getting the care that they need. But the way many chiropractic offices go about this is massively inefficient at the least. Quit sending a slew of statements to try and collect balances. You are losing more than you realize in staff time, paper, postage and other "hidden" expenses. If the patient has the money to pay, one statement will do. If not, move them onto a payment plan via auto-debit. Don't accept post-dated checks or anything else that you have to manually track because, again, you are losing money in staff time.
Use a service to take the payments out in the amounts that you choose, over the time-period you specify, all with a two-minute, one-page form your patient fills out. After that, it's set it and forget it! Your patient will pay on time and get the care they need, and you can stop losing money and staff time endlessly chasing patients for a few dollars.
4. Your Waiting-Room Window
Is there anything that could be more insulting than sliding a window open and closed in front of a patient? You are not operating a drive-thru, nor do you have to guard untold millions of dollars behind your counter, so what's the point of that silly little window? It's old school and puts an invisible barrier between you, your staff and your patients. The best practices build relationships, not barriers - so sledgehammer that thing out of there!
5. Chiropractic Relics
Obviously if you have graduated in the past few years, there's no need to give your tables the heave-ho. Some of you can even get away with hiring someone to simply re-cover your benches and they will look brand new. But first, you need to realize that the Miami Vice or Grateful Dead themes are really not working these days. In other cases, you simply cannot mask the ugliness and just need to fork over some money for new equipment.
Think about it: If you went to a dentist who had to manually hand-crank your chair into the recline position, or an accountant who broke out his abacus to help perform calculations, wouldn't you be a little suspect of the quality of the service you were about to receive? When your patients see your B.J. Palmer relic table complete with 30 years worth of dust and dead skin, they are thinking the same thing.
6. The FM Stereo Set
Your turntable and stereo might have been high-end equipment back when you were in college, but so was your mullet hairstyle, and I hope you have given that one up. Here's another reality: I cannot believe how many times I visit a chiropractic office and obnoxious commercials are being blasted through the office sound system. Worse than just playing bad music for your patient, some of you are featuring commercials that are actually advertising for another office down the street! I don't care whether you hook up to satellite radio, your iPod or whatever else you choose, but either cut the commercials and give your patients a break or put your own commercials in between your music selections, so at least you are advertising for yourself!
7. The Dead Weight
She complains with every new task and is committed to doing things the same way you did it in 1982 (which was the peak of her effectiveness); she gets the other employees riled up and acts as if she is your mother and your boss. She performs at about 40 percent efficiency, and even on full steam is nothing to brag about. She thinks she owns the place, but you would never know it from her work ethic. Yet, there she is - still in your chiropractic office because she is a familiar face, has weathered storms with you, and you are loyal and forgiving.
For some reason, chiropractors are notorious for holding on to staff members who should have been discarded before the rot set in. Amazingly, everybody else in your office knows this person should have been liberated from their job years ago. Do the right thing and get rid of the bad example. It's not heartless; it's a business decision. The only question you will have for yourself afterward is, "Why did I wait so long?"
There you have it - seven things that you must remove from your office immediately. And while you're at it, if there is anything in your office that you haven't used in the last year - get rid of it now! De-cluttering the office is a great feeling and helps you make the mental and physical room for improvements to your practice; so what are you waiting for?
Dr. Tom Necela maintains a private practice in Washington state. He is also the founder of The Strategic Chiropractor, a consulting firm for chiropractors. Dr. Necela can be contacted with questions or comments via his Web site, www.strategicdc.com.