When s&*t hits the fan, most medical practices conduct damage control to first identify the problem and, more importantly, to see that the problem does not occur again. When a patient complains and has a moment of misery with the practice, the investigation will reveal that an employee or even the physician did not perform to the expectation of the patient. However, sometimes, the investigation will discover that there was a problem in the system.

An example is when a patient waits on hold for more than several minutes when calling the office, and then when the caller does connect with the office, the caller is relegated to a phone tree. This is unacceptable, and most patients don’t appreciate a long hold time or being required to listen to multiple options before they can speak to a human. This is a system problem that needs to be fixed. If the practice conducts patient satisfaction surveys and hears this complaint on multiple occasions, then the process needs to be repaired.

On the other hand, when a moment of magic occurs, hopefully more frequently than moments of misery, the positive movement is often not recognized and is seldom celebrated. I suggest that these moments of magic be acknowledged with every intention that the action is repeated.

In most medical practices, when an accolade is received by the practice the compliment is buried or not celebrated at all. Let me provide a few examples of how a moment of magic is honored and shared with others in the practice.

It is common for patients to share with the doctor in the exam room how helpful a staff member was and compliment the staff member. Rather than gloss over the compliment, the doctor might consider asking the patient “to hold that thought” and then go to the employee and invite him or her into the exam room and ask the patient to repeat the compliment so that the staff member hears the remark directly from the patient. For example, a patient reports that the receptionist was helpful in making an appointment so quickly for the patient. When the receptionist is called into the room and hears directly from the patient that the effort of the receptionist is so appreciated, the employee will likely break into a wide smile and truly appreciate the recognition. This acknowledgment takes less than 3 minutes, but it is the best 3 minutes you can invest in staff motivation. This approach is extended to sharing the same story at a future staff meeting so that the remainder of the staff also hears the compliment. This informs the staff that their actions are recognized and celebrated by everyone. This approach motivates others to extend themselves to patients so that everyone is able to have moments of magic within the practice.

A second example is the thank you note sent by a patient to the office manager or to the treating doctors complimenting them on their expertise or outstanding care. Most of those notes are tossed out, placed in a drawer or posted on the practice bulletin board in the employee lounge. I suggest that you share the note with all of the staff and also send a copy to the patient’s referring physician with a note that mentions the patient’s positive experience. I also recommend obtaining permission from the patient to place the note in a scrapbook in the reception area for other patients to read about the positive experience others have had with the doctors and the practice.

Finally, our last example is the situation when a patient refers another patient, usually a family or friend, to the practice. In most practices, if you consider the lifetime value of a patient, it is often equivalent to thousands of dollars. I ask you, isn’t a referral from a satisfied patient worth at least a thank you note? However, you can create a raving fan if you send the patient a special, meaningful gift in the $50–$100 range. This gift isn’t necessary, nor is the referral expected, but a small gift is so very appreciated. With a lovely, meaningful gift, you will likely find that the patient will continue the process and continue to refer others to your practice.

The bottom line: Of course it is imperative that moments of misery are addressed and corrected. However, it is just as important to recognize those moments of magic that you want to see occur again. The take-home message is that both moments of misery and magic are an opportunity to offer stellar services to our patients.