The First 5 Things Patients Notice (That Your Team Might Be Missing)
Jun 03, 2025
The First 5 Things Patients Notice (That Your Team Might Be Missing)
By Connie Kurczewski | June 3, 2025
Most patients won’t say a word.
They’ll smile politely while thinking, Is this place worth coming back to?
That’s what most practices miss.
It’s rarely the clinical results that drive people away.
It’s how the experience feels, and the subtle things your team assumes are fine.
If your practice is positioned as premium, details matter.
They shape how your brand is perceived long before the patient reaches the treatment room.
Here are five common touchpoints that influence the patient experience more than you think—and what you can do about them.
The reception area smells like food
Even when everything else looks perfect, this one detail alters the experience. Patients feel like they’ve walked into a breakroom and interrupted someone’s lunch. It immediately lowers the perceived standard.
What to do:
Designate a space for meals away from reception. If you want to use scent intentionally, choose one signature fragrance and keep it consistent.
The TV is blaring the news
The goal is to have patients leave feeling better than when they walked in. Even with the sound off, TV news or other shows change the tone of your office. It adds tension, visual noise, and pulls attention away from your services and the experience.
What to do:
Use reception TVs to showcase your expertise, educate, and build trust with curated content that you control.
Oversharing at the desk
A patient asks how the day is going. A team member responds with how busy it’s been, how someone called out, or how far behind things are running. It may feel like small talk, but it’s negative and not adding value to the patient experience.
What to do:
Coach your team to keep the conversation warm but positively patient focused as they engage with the person in front of them.
Personal fragrances
When the air is filled with a mix of perfume, scented lotions, and body oils, the office stops feeling luxurious. Some patients may not mind, but most will become uncomfortable or distracted by it during their visit.
What to do:
Clearly outline guidelines for wearing personal fragrance in your employee policies.
No eye contact at check-in
Patients often won’t consciously realize it, but they always feel it. When they walk in and no one looks up or acknowledges them, they might wonder, “Am I in the right place? Are they expecting me?” Instead of feeling welcomed, it can feel like staff is doing them a favor by checking them in.
What to do:
Train your team to smile and greet each patient with eye contact, even when they’re on the phone. A simple acknowledgment in those first few seconds makes a world of difference in making new and existing patients feel significant.
Great patient experiences are made during small moments.
If you want your brand to stand out in a positive way, start by taking a closer look at your entire patient journey from start to finish. Then design every interaction around your high standards.
Want to raise the bar on your patient journey?
If you're ready to improve the way your practice is experienced from the moment a patient walks in, I can help you design systems and touchpoints that reflect the level of care you’re known for.
Book a Strategy Call to get started.
