June 2007

The Starbucks experience

by Dr. Mike Reid

What do a delicious tall, non‑fat, soy toffee nut latte and chiropractic have in common? A lot. You've undoubtedly heard about the success of Starbucks ...with its 11,000 stores worldwide ...with the average customer returning 18 times monthly ...and paying on average $3.50 for a cup of coffee!

"The Starbucks Experience" was written by Joseph Michelli who researched the phenomenal success of Starbucks. It all started with a man named Howard Schultz who was obsessed with turning the ordinary into extraordinary ‑‑ turning a 50‑cent cup of coffee and a cashier into an experience from a coffee barista who delivers a customized product that would deliver maximal profit.

This book actually parallels many outcomes in a chiropractic office.

We could all walk into 10 different offices and have 10 different experiences, yet one of those offices would probably generate a "WOW" effect whereby that new patient experience would create a definitive returning patient.

Over the last two months I've been promoting the Starbucks experience in my clients' offices. We've systematically created an enhanced new patient event whereby patients leave our office feeling unbelievably "WOWED." The end effect? It's creating what we call in marketing "the sneezer." A sneezer is another term for viral marketing whereby patients will tell others about an incredible place, event, or experience, much like Starbucks.

Michelli outlines five principles to turn your practice from the ordinary to the extraordinary. His keen insights utilize the transformational power of Starbucks that can be integrated into any chiropractic practice.

***  Principle #1: Make it your own. If you could have the ultimate practice, what would it look like? What would it smell like and sound like? When you walk into a Starbucks, they always have groovy and funky hip‑hop music playing. There are colorful murals on the wall and an aroma of freshly brewed coffees. The attendants ‑‑ baristas ‑‑ are also known as "partners." They receive stock options or dividends as their store grows and prospers.

We've taken the same principle and applied it to our practice. New patients are greeted with herbal teas, hot chocolate, granola, and fresh fruit by one of our "new patient ambassadors." Each new patient is welcomed by his or her first name and with a handshake. Patients are received in our reception area and brought to the new patient exam room within five minutes. High‑energy music plays in an office filled with the scent of vanilla and fresh flowers and live plants throughout. Take a close look at your office and see where you may be able to raise the bar.

***  Principle #2: Everything matters. My team members are also known as "partners" where they have taken ownership of my practice. At Fortune we teach something called the B.A.M. system whereby my team gets dividends on growth of the practice. Not surprisingly, they're keen on detail, whether it's cleanliness, lighting, service or acknowledging all of our patients even during a busy prime time, just as Starbucks baristas would do. My team focuses their attention to detail on everything, from straight posters on the wall to proper pronunciation of patients' names. Your office should be a well‑oiled machine, so that in the event the doctor's unable to be there, the office can still run smoothly with a replacement.           

***  Principle #3: Surprise and delight. One of my clients had created something that we now call the "WACK" factor in practice. Every week has a different theme. Every month has a different "WACK" factor where we do something fun and funky such as a Hawaiian day, a charity day, a Santa Claus day, etc. You get the idea. My main focus is pure energy in the office. My team has taken ownership. The doctor can focus on loving and serving the patients. Everybody's on purpose and while we're having fun, we can focus on surprising and delighting our patients by making our practice our passion.

***  Principle #4: Embrace resistance. In "The Starbucks Experience," there's a story of a banker who had a terrible experience at a Starbucks. He posted this experience on his website, which was noticed by Starbucks top management. Instead of taking these comments as an insult, they saw this as an opportunity to accept criticism, as a way to improve the quality and quantity of their service. Many companies are now following suit. They listen ‑‑ not only to their clients, but to their competition as well. Every year in an anonymous survey, I ask my patients for feedback on our practice. It was interesting to see that they wanted more information to refer their friends and family. Ironically, many of them asked for Starbucks coffee in my practice.

***  Principle #5: Leave your mark. One of my master coaches from Anthony Robbins stated that the newest trend in marketing is connecting with or donating to charitable causes. The public sees this as philanthropy versus self‑serving. They've discovered that the public likes to associate with companies that align with a greater cause. Starbucks has associated with Fair Trade Coffee, Ethos bottled water, and 10% post‑ consumer recycled cups and sleeves. My team wanted to eliminate the styrofoam cups in our practice. They also purchased recyclable paper bags for patients who purchase products. And, we've aligned ourselves with charities such as Children's Wish Foundation and our local food bank.

Here's my challenge. Share this article with your team. Take 15 minutes and walk through your entire office looking at every minute detail of how you can make your office a more incredible experience for your patients. Create a list of things to change, remove, add and do. Prioritize it and delegate tasks to the clinic's team members. Have fun with this. Remember, experience it from a patient's point of view and I guarantee that you can create a Starbucks experience in your practice.

(Dr. Mike Reid is an international lecturer, Canadian president of the World Chiropractic Alliance and the international director and head coach of Anthony Robbins' chiropractic coaching program called "Fortune." Merging his "Gorilla Chiropractic Coaching" with Robbins' personal empowerment technologies, Fortune is an elite and executive‑level program designed to create extraordinary practices and extraordinary lives. A member of the class of 1992 from CMCC, Dr. Reid maintains a private, cash‑based wellness practice in Ottawa, Ontario. For more information, contact him at 800‑781‑8127.)