08/14/2020
It’s a different time and a different world today than it was when we started 2020. We all get that - or at least most of us do. But I see a lot of businesses today forgetting where they were pre-Covid 19, and literally neglecting their clients.
Why does anyone establish a business? Why, to make money, of course! No doubt about it. Unless you are a philanthropic concern, you are in business to make a profit. I think the problem today is that many businesses have forgotten that you need happy clients to stay in business; they think just being there to service “desperate” clients is enough. It isn’t! And even if it may be true at this moment in time, it will not be for long.
Here’s an example: Yesterday, I went for an annual routine check up on a condition I have had for 30 years. It’s a 3 minute visit, a quick blood test, and I’m out the door, year in and year out.
This year, the doctor’s office was closed back in March so no annual check-up and no new prescription. My pharmacist could not get a call back and kindly filled the prescription anyway. Months go by, and I get a generic email that the doctor’s office is now open. I call for an appointment and they give me one two months hence and a full 5 months later than my “annual” visit. OK, no biggie, everybody is coping with the new normal, right?
I get to the office and call them…I wait in the car… I wait at the check-in window and pay…I wait in the waiting room…I wait in the pre-examining room…I wait in the examining room…the doctor finally sees me for the 3 minutes…no blood test in office yet…go back and wait at the window…nurse calls over to their lab across town…get an appointment at their lab across town…drive to lab across town…wait in waiting room at lab across town…you get the idea. My 3 minute visit turned into a 2 hour ordeal. Even worse, no one was in the least concerned; the doctor and staff were not apologetic at all. No one gave a fig for my time or inconvenience. They might have said, “How dare you have a schedule of your own! Don’t you understand that our time is so much more valuable than yours? We don’t feel it is necessary to prepare you for what to expect or to make things convenient or comfortable for you!” So rude. I mean, we have all spent time in doctors’ offices, and we all know what to expect ordinarily – this was just over the top.
What happened? Did they forget they are treating actual people? I want to be treated by a doctor and her office LIKE A HUMAN BEING. I want to be treated by EVERYBODY I do business with LIKE A HUMAN BEING. If you are not functioning as normal, you need to let me know what to expect. (Think ride wait time signs at Disney.) If this is how it is when I am well, I can’t imagine dealing with this if I was ill.
It’s the same way with many other businesses. I don’t know what their thinking is; just because you can provide goods or service right now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it with the client in mind – just like you did way back in March. And just because you did it one way “before”, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t change and adapt to make it better now. Like, what’s with restaurants not taking reservations? They have limited capacity now with the outdoor dining only. Why would you want to have people form a line? I for one am not venturing far to a restaurant unless I know I can be accommodated. Think, people!
Things have changed for all of us. Let’s remember that without clients, you would have no business. It’s not all about you and your business; it’s about me, the client that fuels your business. I sure as hell am going to remember yesterday – and I’ll be looking for a new endocrinologist.
I WILL be dining with friends tonight at The Old ’76 House – where they have a fabulous, new Al Fresco menu and a beautiful outdoor dining set up.
They’ve adapted – and it’s all about me!
