You’ve probably experienced this familiar scene: going to the doctor, having to wait to be seen in a sterile office, feeling rushed through the entire appointment and finally going home without feeling much better. It’s no wonder healthcare is one of the top five hated industries in the world.
But One Medical is out to change people’s negative perceptions of healthcare by focusing on the patient experience and making it something people actually enjoy. It’s part of the growing trend to the consumerization of healthcare. According to CMO Doug Sweeny, One Medical thinks through the entire patient experience from start to finish to make visiting the doctor enjoyable. Instead of waiting weeks to get an appointment, patients can use an app to book a same-day appointment or virtually visit with a provider after hours. From the moment a patient walks in, the feel of the office is different. The modern style and calming décor is a stark contrast from typical waiting rooms. There aren’t phones at the front desk, which means receptionists can actually greet patients and talk with them instead of being distracted by a phone call. Appointments start on time, with the average wait time of just 30-60 seconds.
The experience continues throughout the appointment. One Medical has automated much of the paperwork processes to allow healthcare providers to do what they love most—care for patients. They can take the time to build real relationships and meet the needs of each patient. Studies have shown that having a strong relationship with a doctor adds value to members and prevents things like urgent care visits.
Aside from typical healthcare services, One Medical also offers services that patients really want, like mental health coaching, weight management classes, sports medicine, physical therapy and much more. The purpose is to help members meet their health goals instead of only seeing them when they’re sick. The company has partnered with large hospitals across the country to offer advanced specialist care to its patients.
One Medical also works to engage with its employees by allowing them to focus on what matters most: patients. Instead of getting paid based on how many patients they see, all One Medical doctors are salary based.
The entire experience is drastically different from the typical healthcare environment and could revolutionize the industry. One Medical remembers what many other healthcare companies don’t: that patients are people. Visiting the doctor can be an enjoyable experience. Like in other industries, consumers can take their business elsewhere if they aren’t satisfied, so healthcare companies need to understand changing consumerization trends to create a positive and personal experience.
Healthcare is changing, and companies like One Medical that focus on patients and relationships will be the ones paving the way.
Customer experience is a major focus of the B2C world, but it’s also vitally important for B2B companies. As B2B customers become more digitally savvy, companies need to focus on digital transformation to ensure high-quality customer experiences.
According to Dushyant Mohanty, global head of transformation at Tata Consultancy Services, that means moving from being product-centric to being customer-centric. Mohanty helps companies around the world transform to meet the needs of modern customers. He is an expert in B2B manufacturing, energy and financial services.
When creating a transformational customer experience journey, B2B companies should put themselves in the shoes of their customers to see if they are getting an immersive solution that meets their needs, or if the company’s offerings are outdated. An immersive omnichannel experience includes all types of outreach and technology. In order to make it happen, Mohanty says companies often have to include people who aren’t typically part of the buying experience. Involving these people earlier in the process can help companies get a more accurate view of their customers and help create a cohesive experience with everyone on the same page.
In a digital transformation, the customer experience needs to be customized and in real time. That means adjusting as needed and using the correct customer persona. Just like how modern customers expect customization in their B2C experiences, they also want it in their B2B interactions.
In theory, this new approach to B2B customer experience is relatively simple. Putting it into practice, however, can be quite challenging. Mohanty says executives need to first pinpoint the reason for the transformation. Is it to drive top-line revenue, or is it to establish their market share? Knowing the reason for shifting to a customer-centric company can help drive strategy.
Once a company understands its incentive for changing, it should look at its current contracts to see what customers are asking for. An effective customer experience means that the company is responding to customers’ needs. The contracts can tell the true story of if that’s actually happening.
Mohanty points out that a digital transformation is more than just updating a few processes. For many companies, it’s a complete overhaul of their approach to service and customer experience. Small changes will only get small results. To make a real change, executives need to take a step back and look at things objectively to see if they are reaching customers and achieving their goals. The underlying technology structure has a huge impact on customer experience, as does the data strategy. Start with these as a foundation to customer experience.
In the end, it really comes down to having a growth mindset. B2B companies that can embrace digital transformation for customer experience are the ones that don’t simply do what’s always been done but instead look for new solutions to meet customers’ needs.
Just like in the B2C world, B2B companies need to always be evaluating their approach to customer experience to stay on top of new trends and technologies. A digital transformation can help companies become more customer-centric to guide their customers through the changing digital world.