Aesthetics in Practice

I recently consulted on-site with a Texas optometrist, arriving Sunday afternoon for a Monday morning start.  The practice was in a smaller town in the southern part of the state.  One of the things I usually do is check out the competition.  In this case, Siri directed me to 3 other optometrists.

I went to the first one; it was no longer an optometry practice.  It was now a pawn shop.

The second was indeed an optometry practice.  It had no signs, but it did have weathered awnings with the previous owner’s name on them, not the name of the current owner.

The third was also an optometry practice, located next to a closed hotel.  It was a little hard to find, since the sign faces were gone from the roadside sign, and only small window lettering was there to let you know what was inside the building.

Our patients don’t possess the acumen to know if our clinical skills are top-notch, or bottom of the barrel.  They do however know if the signage for the practice is inviting and informative, the building is well-maintained, the styling of the interior is current and attractive.  The message that our building and environs send is much stronger than the professional skills we use in many cases.

What message are you sending to your patients?  How can you improve the message to increase your patient flow, and patient satisfaction?