Cosmetic surgery is often a big decision, not just because of the substantial changes it can make to your appearance. As cosmetic surgery is often considered an elective treatment, it’s rarely covered in both universal healthcare systems or by health insurance. This means that it will come out of pocket, and as a result, more care needs to be taken when choosing a cosmetic surgery provider.
This guide is designed to help patients find the right cosmetic surgery provider for them and surgery providers to ensure that their practice offers all the hallmarks of quality that customers are looking for.
It can be a big decision to spend hundreds if not thousands on an elective procedure, and then on top of the upfront cost, patients are also putting their trust in the provider they select. With so much at stake, it’s important that the providers chosen are trustworthy and safe and come with a customer-centered focus that helps patients pay for their treatments and remains in touch throughout the procedure – including recovery.
Searching: Finding the Surgery Provider
The first step to any decision is first to investigate. With search engines, this makes it easy to find options, but it can feel difficult to find the right one for you. Narrowing down your selection based on location, the services that they provide, and also on their reviews is important.
For service providers, optimising your site so that it’s optimized for local and niche searches is a must. You’ll also want to optimize your listing on any lists your practice may appear in, as well as review sites. Reviews sites can be frustrating, yes, as people are more inclined to write a review without prompting when there’s an issue.
To avoid only bad reviews, you must encourage your patients to write a review or give testimony after their procedure. This way, you can populate your practice with glowing reviews. If your patient consents, also aim to add and refresh the before and after photos so that new potential patients can see the results first-hand.
Give Them All the Information They Need
Hiding information isn’t as helpful as you may think. Though you won’t be able to give patients specific answers on your website (like cost and results) without first having a consultation, it’s useful to provide as much information as possible. A good example of how you can provide information generally to inform patients of what they can expect in terms of results and cost is to look at hshairclinic.co.uk.
Not only do they outline the causes of female hair loss, but also how they can help and what FUE hair transplants can do for patients. They even have a testimonial video from a patient. Rather than hide the cost, they give a general cost range and even offer a graft calculator tool to help you estimate the cost in advance. You can then save up or take advantage of their payment plan options.
Giving information and being as upfront as you can is a good way to get customers and patients to trust you. After all, patients don’t want to waste their time. If they get in touch with a clinic, have a consultation, and then learn the treatment is well beyond their ability to pay for it, they’ve wasted their time and the service providers.
Being helpful and informative is the first step to building essential rapport.
Ensure Their Qualifications are Up-To-Date and Valid
Practicing without the proper credentials is against the law. While service providers will need to keep their credentials and licenses up-to-date, it’s up to patients to check that the clinic they are considering is registered. There are multiple commissions that make this easy. In the UK, for example, any cosmetic surgery must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Patients should check online or ask the surgeon in question to show their certificate.
As for the providers themselves, aim to have all credentials, certificates, and licenses front and center in your clinic. This not only looks impressive, but it can also assure new patients that they are about to get quality healthcare services right from the moment they enter your office.
Ensure They Are Committed To Developing Skills
Providers must continue to develop their skills so that they can offer the latest treatments that patients are asking for and can show continued investment in their skills. Therefore, you should also check that the providers you are considering are committed to improving their skill set, especially through official programs.
Look On Voluntary Registers
If you want non-surgical treatments, it’s useful to look on voluntary registers. In the UK, for example, you could register with the Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) or Save Face. This is a good place to find possible places to perform your surgery if you want to be certain that you have explored all of your options.
How Good Is The Patient Experience?
With today’s level of digital tools, there’s no excuse not to experience great customer service in the form of a digital patient portal. This portal should make it easy to book or reschedule appointments, arrange for phone or video calls, ask for advice through text, and so on. If they don’t have a portal, at least make sure they offer exemplary customer service from the moment you get in touch with them. You want to be treated well during your time here.
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