Customer-centric cosmetics: How digital solutions can deliver a health care experience that is more than just skin deep

Customer-centric cosmetics

How digital solutions can deliver a health care experience that is more than just skin deep

Cosmetic procedures are in high demand worldwide, with the global market on course to reach $66 billion by 2026. Yet service levels at private health care clinics, burdened by legacy technology installed many years ago, are struggling to keep pace with customer demand and service expectations. A digital facelift is in order, argues Andy Randall, Group COO at Halfords and chairman at Avayler. Private clinics must look to apply modern supply chain and CRM technology to their cosmetic health care operations to deliver first-class patient outcomes and ensure flawless safety standards.

BY ANDY RANDALL

Andy Randall, Group COO at Halfords and chairman at Avayler.

Today there are up to 650 Consultant Dermatologists working in the NHS, many of which carry out additional elective or aesthetic procedures in private clinics. In fact, health care professionals follow NHS procedures and training, use prescription drugs such as Botox for some procedures, and private medical clinics are licensed by the Care Quality Commission.

CX is top of the agenda for every consumer, no matter what they are buying

Patients seeking out private clinics for cosmetic procedures such as laser hair removal and Botox have the same service expectations as customers in any industry — yet there is currently a capability gap between both customer-facing and back-end private health care operations, and the ser-

vice levels people have become accustomed to elsewhere. For many private health care clinics today, there are three ways to build and consolidate a competitive advantage: deliver consistently high clinical care outcomes, offer a seamless end-to-end customer journey, and safeguard patients with high safety standards. Government-backed organizations such as the JCCP (Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners) register of practitioners have made some progress in addressing these pain-points, but it is technology that will offer a way to get clinics over the finish line.

Time to make the ‘outcomes’ switch

The cosmetics industry is currently undergoing its own facelift as it realises the need to shift its focus onto patient outcomes — something that requires gaining greater control and visibility of the processes undertaken to give every treatment. Many doctors and practitioners have traditionally been allowed to follow their own ‘tried and tested’ methods for such procedures — but with so much room for inconsistency and variable results, they are now increasingly moving toward a greater focus on outcomes.

Fillers are not enough — a facelift is required

A focus on patient outcomes alone is not enough. To ensure a fully successful transition, clinics must combine this with the whole customer experience — generating efficient end-to-end processes, from first customer contact and treatment through to routine post-procedure follow ups.

Tap into other service industry knowledge for cosmetic success

Businesses in industries ranging from retail to automotive have shifted from simply providing a product to a laser focus on CX, delivering a smooth service and a seamless customer journey. The health care market is well-placed to take the lessons learned from this transition and apply them to its own push towards consistently delivering excellent customer outcomes.

Outcomes and service focused industries put a greater emphasis on optimized scheduling and streamlined workflows. For private clinics this means establishing

< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 methods to follow standardized, approved clinical processes to ensure consistent patient outcomes and excellent safety levels.

Overhauling your legacy systems? Here’s what to look out for

The current state of play in private clinics is very rudimentary, legacy systems that offer few if any dedicated features for the health care market. Indeed, many clinics currently use a system originally designed for bowling alleys which were then partially customised for clinical use! But booking a bowling lane is a far cry from undergoing laser hair removal — and there is little scope for the health care professional to focus on treatment process or patient outcomes.

No wonder that scheduling in such systems is naturally very basic — there is no granular scheduling by doctor type or specialist qualifications, and no opportunity to charge variable rates per individual doctor. While many clinics may be up-to-date with standalone systems such as CRM, the benefits of this do not currently extend into transforming processes in the treatment room.

Some private clinic chains have begun to recognise the dangers of falling behind the pace of digital transformation and rising customer expectations — but many have attempted to develop their own in-house alternatives to replace existing legacy systems — a slow and costly alternative to opting for an off-the-shelf solution, extensively tailored for health care.

Safety is critical — underpin it with technology

Patient safety is non-negotiable for all procedures – and cosmetic procedures are no exception. Yet there is often room for human error or inconsistency when relying on outdated systems or manual processes.

Take laser hair removal as a prime example. In a typical private clinic today, a nurse will estimate which type of kit to use for the procedure, such as laser strength and configuration, based on a patient’s skin type. Get this setting even slightly wrong in either direction and a patient could either suffer burns or receive no hair removal due to an underpowered laser — a potentially catastrophic outcome for clinic and clinician.

With a technology-guided, outcomes-focused procedure, the customer and clinician will follow a safe, stan-

A technology-driven, holistic approach brings benefits for patients and practitioners alike

A dedicated service platform integrating the customer journey and clinician delivery represents a powerful addition to today’s private health care clinics, offering a wealth of support for both parties. It makes sense to look for a proven service platform that has all corners covered — and the ability to ensure a cost-effective rollout with minimal disruption to business operations. At the customer level, patients benefit from intuitive, online scheduling of appointments — there’s no longer any need to phone to check availability and book a timeslot. The patient will know in advance the professional they’ll be meeting with and their procedure record, as well as being guided through next steps of the process. They will also receive post-procedure evidence such as photographs and documentation.

Health care professionals, meanwhile, gain greater visibility into the booking and scheduling process — knowing in advance who is coming in for treatment and when, which type of treatment is planned, and relevant stepby-step routines on the device of their choice to deliver a guaranteed first-class outcome for the patient.

Transform clinic workflows with future-proof service technology

Deploying a tried-and-tested platform that can be customised to streamline service delivery for any industry is the easiest method for clinics to hit the ground running and avoid extensive and risky investment or in-house development. By tailoring such a platform specifically for health care workflows, medical professionals can augment their own training and expertise to ensure safe and consistent patient outcomes — enhancing that all-important customer experience in the process.

Many organizations in other service-oriented industries have already embraced technology to enhance the customer journey and fine-tune their service offerings – and with the demand for flawless customer experiences rising, private clinics now have a golden opportunity to take their cosmetic procedures to the next level with a digital foundation. :