Wait Time Tolerance is Based on a Client's Needs

Have you ever gone to the emergency room at a hospital for a real emergency and were forced to wait hours? Did the time just fly by because the hospital was playing a great waiting room DVD and other entertainment to occupy you and before you knew it you were being called back to see the doctor? Of course not! You stayed because there was an emergency. Your waiting time tolerance was based on the severity of that emergency.

Chances are if you ever had to go to the emergency room and had to wait, either for yourself or with someone else, you were bored to tears. You probably struggled to entertain yourself with the sticky, crumpled magazines they offer or you watched some news channel they had playing just to keep your mind off of why you were there.

One thing is for certain, you, as an alternative healthcare professional, do not want to put your clients through that same ordeal when they are waiting in your office! Have enough activities for your clients to stay reasonably entertained until you are ready for them. At times your clients may arrive early and might need to wait a significant amount of time.

There is a correlation between the desperation and the length of the wait people will endure. Don't think that just because people wait in an emergency room for hours on end to see the doctor, you don't really need to do too much to entertain them in your waiting room. Chances are that your clients have multiple appointments and aren't one time clients. They are interested in their health and that is why they are going to your office repeatedly. Since they have multiple appointments and their life isn't in immediate danger, they realize that if the wait is too long, they can reschedule and get the same health benefit if they come in at a time more convenient to them.

As an alternative health care provider, it is up to you to make your waiting room entertaining enough for your clients to want be willing to stay if the wait becomes longer than expected. Just throwing a television and some magazines into your waiting room doesn't necessarily tell your clients you are looking out for their interests unless that television is playing something that will captivate them without being a sales push. Those magazines need to be clean, recent and appeal to all types of individuals as well.

If something unexpected happens to make your clients wait longer, and you are providing your clients with options for entertainment, you will help keep those clients in your waiting room. Sometimes thinking outside the box can help as well. Providing snacks will keep them from those hunger pangs that can strike; tangible puzzles like a Rubik's Cube can entertain those who enjoy keeping their brain going without always reading; and providing entertaining waiting room DVDs can let your clients enjoy some fun during their wait instead of being offended by regular programming.

Going above and beyond with the ambiance in your waiting room can also turn your waiting room into a reception room so your clients feel it is more of a retreat than a hassle. Let clients relax with some gentle water sounds and soft lighting. If possible, have your staff ask those clients in the waiting room if there is anything they can get for them to make their wait more enjoyable.

Of course, your reaction to their wait will direct the client in their reaction. If they comment about how long their wait was, you can respond with a positive by saying, "I'm sorry about the wait and I hope it doesn't happen again. We tried designing our reception room to give you plenty of options to keep you occupied if you need to wait. Is there anything else we can do to help an excessive wait be more comfortable in the rare chance it happens in the future?" Sometimes just acknowledging to the client that you realize they had to wait and their time is important will go a very long way in keeping your client satisfied!

Go ahead and make some changes to turn your boring waiting room into a vibrant reception room. Then if your clients need to have a longer wait, they can find refuge in your reception room and enjoy some much needed relaxation. Keep those magazines up to date and play a great waiting room DVD on your television. A vibrant reception room will enhance your office for your clients, making it a win-win for you and those you serve.

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