While watching the Oscars last Sunday, I was riveted by the attention given to the celebrities who walked the red carpet. The media swarmed around them as hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets for a glimpse. All watched attentively these “special” people as they made their journey down the famous red carpet. It made me wonder… what if we treated our patients as if THEY were walking the red carpet. What if we treated them like they were the most special (and beautiful) people in the world. Would that positively impact their opinion of us? Would that motivate them to follow through on their treatment plans, and thus, heal faster? I’d have to say YES.
Real World Story: A woman and her mother sat in a lobby waiting for their medical appointment. They were not happy due to previous encounters with the mother’s medical group. They were actually contemplating changing to a competing doctor’s office. When it was time for the mother to be called, they expected someone to stick their head out from behind a door and yell out the mother’s name. Instead, a medical assistant (MA) walked into the lobby, came right up to the patient and her daughter, and asked, “Are you Mary and Cindy?” The mother replied, “Yes.” And with a huge smile on her face, the MA said, “My name is Carol, your medical assistant. I’ll be taking care of you today. Let’s go on back.” The patient and her daughter were very surprised and amazed that the MA came all the way out to them and addressed them by their names. The next day, the patient called the Medical Director to sing the MA’s praises, and now the patient is a LOYAL client for life. Now that’s celebrity treatment!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Treat everyone like a red-carpet-walking celebrity.
- Do not focus on how someone looks or acts – at this moment, he or she is a celebrity.
- If negative or judgmental thoughts creep into mind, remember step number 1.
- Always be kind, even though you don’t have to like or agree with everyone.
Remember: “When you’re in doubt and you want to shout, don’t become mindless, just fill them with kindness.” Barbara Khozam
Have YOU ever been treated like a celebrity? Tell us about the experience in the comments section below.