It is all in the - perhaps unexpected - details.
Gavin is my personal tour guide today. And I mean personal. I am the only one who signed up for the Vancouver City tour this morning. So Gavin and I head out on the bus to view Vancouver.
We rode an elevator to a look-out point 130 meters above the city. I don’t remember my metric system but I can tell you we were up high. The 360 degree view was breathtaking.
Gavin took me to several lovely spots and since it was just the two of us, he took my picture (with my camera) as I posed in front of bridges, beaches – and even totem poles.
At lunch he dropped me at a charming area called “Granville Island.” The area is filled with art galleries, chocolate shops, and craftsman creating handmade masterpieces.
A brightly colored shop caught my eye. The owner is a delightful woman who, after receiving a masters degree in art in Poland, emigrated to the US and then to Canada. In her shop, she and her team hand paint silk scarves in every shade you could imagine.
She noticed what I am wearing and brought out scarves to match my outfit. They are gorgeous. She taught me clever ways of tying the scarf – taking care that I could replicate the process.
With a lovely purple scarf on, I turned to look in a mirror. She quickly turned me around so I could see myself in a much shorter (”Casey-sized”) mirror. “THIS mirror is for regular people. My husband hung that other one too high”, she giggled.
I bought three hand-painted silk scarves and continue to chat with her for a while.
Feeling a bit hungry, I went to a coffee cafe for a quick lunch. The personable woman who took my order wanted to make sure the sandwich was made just the way I liked. And when she brought it to the table, the presentation of that simple sandwich included a side of green olives that made it quite a treat.
I spent time and money in both these shops. I might go back while I am here and buy more. My friends will certainly hear the stories. It is all in the details.
It is the details that can turn ordinary customers into raving fans.
What details are you attending to in your practice? Do you offer candy or gourmet coffee in your waiting room? Do you offer comfy afghans to your clients on cool days? Do you walk them to their cars after dark? Are you on time for their sessions? Do you return phone calls quickly?
These things may seem small to you. But these small details are the things that will set you apart.
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. I so love connecting with you.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks, Casey, for reminding me of the importance of noticing the details of how I relate to my clients. I am very good about calling potential and current clients back very quickly and I have often received complements and surprises about this. Most are surprised at how quickly I respond and are very pleased about this because many therapists either don’t respond or take a few days to do so. Using a Blackberry has also allowed me to have quick responses to e-mails, which clients appreciate and notice. Thanks, again, and I’m glad you enjoyed Vancouver!
Marie
Hi Marie,
Thanks for sharing!
Casey
Casey,
Nice line-up for this year’s virtual leadership conference. And a great alternative to travel costs. I’d be interested in being considered in your line-up for next year.
I have a speciality in teaching both real time and online courses in the application of neuroscience to ther practice of psychotherapy. I’ve presented ar venues across the US and this summer will be doing a week-long offering at the Cape Cod Institute.
I wonder if you’d take a look at an online seminar I teach on the http://www.psybc.com website entitled: Keeping the Brain in Mind: How knowing more about the brain can make you a better therapist.
You could also check out my credential at http://www.FrancineLapides.com
I’ll post my bio here.
Francine Lapides, MFT, writes and teaches from attachment and psycho-neurobiological theories (including the arousal and regulation of affect) and their applications to relational and psychodynamic psychotherapy and adult romantic relationships.
She supervised and taught psychotherapy through the 1970’s and has been in private practice in Santa Cruz, California since 1980. She has trained extensively with Daniel Siegel, is a 6-year member of Allan Schore’s Berkeley study group and has been strongly influenced by relational principles developed at The Stone Center at Wellesley College. She teaches workshops and conferences across the United States and has an online seminar available at http://www.PsyBC.com
Hi Francine,
Thanks for the suggestion. We will certainly keep you in mind for the next conference.
Hugs!
Casey
I totally agree with you Casey. And I would love to offer my clients tea (I usually have a few bottles of water out and available) but my dilemma is that I practice body psychotherapy. I invite my clients to do lots of breathing and a full stomach isn’t necessarily a good thing…plus I specialize in emotional eating… so treats are not ideal either…I light an unscented candle… but haven’t found other ways to make it special that are suitable. Maybe others have creative ideas? Thank you:)
HI Ina!
How precious you are to be so sensitive to the needs of your people. Hmmm… I hope others will share their thoughts for you. I know we have other body therapists in our community. I am curious to know what goes on in a session. ??
Blessings and thanks for welcoming me to your lovely city!
xo
C
I think the details are so important. I currently sublet office space, so I feel limited in what I can do in the office for those details. However, I make sure to call back clients quickly. Many clients have expressed appreciation that I call back so quickly and think it has helped me get potential clients that called many therapists and waited to see who would call back first. Thanks for all of your great suggestions.
Alisa,
It is sad that people have come to expect poor customer service and that it is a surprise when you call back quickly. And how delightful that you give them sense of feeling important. Congrats on using your creativity in regard to the details when the space isn’t your own. (I totally get it – I actually used to bring in homey touches and take them home each night that I sublet.)
Many blessings,
Casey
Hi Casey and welcome to our beautiful city… you have brought the sunshine with you and when the sun shines in Vancouver there is no better place to be.
You are so right about taking care of the details. When we started our practice we worked hard to make sure we were welcoming clients to a warm friendly environment that they immediately felt at ease in. Oh and yes we offer candies ( lush ones) Starbucks coffee fresh ground every day…. with choice of cream or milk! And whilst not everyone likes dogs we have found very few who do not warm to our Scotty greeters… Portia and Mac!
Fresh flowers in reception and we try to mark special occasion like Halloween etc with festive and tasteful touches…
One of the most important things you allude to in your article I think was do you turn up on time? So important, if I am paying a lot of bucks to see you I do not expect you to come strolling in 5 minutes after me! One last thing we have a 24 hour cancellation policy but if we have to cancel on a client without 24 hours notice we acknowledge that their time is just as important as ours and credit them with a free session for the inconvenience
Enjoy your stay
Hi Kathy,
You do indeed have a breathtaking city. I really love it here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the details. It is clear you offer a lovely experience.
Hugs,
Casey
A detail that I offer my clients is their session notes sent to them via email (with informed consent, of course). Clients really appreciate that I write my session notes in the format of a letter. Not only do I review the content and processes of our session, but I often also offer further information and resources to deepen the experience of their therapy.
Their feedback on this practice is consistently positive. They often say that the email allows them to revisit the conversation we had in the session and to “go deeper” into processing their experience of the session and their thoughts and feelings. Their session notes also include their homework for the week, and a reminder of the date and time of their next session.
Yes, it may take me a bit longer to write session notes this way, but it also allows me to process what went on in the session as well, and it makes me feel good to offer this little detail as part of my service.
What a lovely idea!! Nice!
Casey,
Loved reading your story about Vancouver. Lucky you with your own tour guide. I sure hope it was a sunny day.
And I am so sorry that you are in my lovely city when I am not there to meet you. I would have loved to hang out on Granville Island with you and hang out with you in a cafe.
Hope the rest of your trip and the conference went well. I look forward to the day when we can spend some time together.
Juliet,
I am struck by how sad I am that we are not meeting here together. I too hope that we will one day be in the same country and spend time together!
Hugs,
Casey
PS It was 2 degrees celcius this morning and I went running for about 45 minutes at the seawall in Stanley Park. I was bundled up and loved it!