Yesterday I need to see an eye doctor. By the time I made that decision my left eye was in bad shape. It had been swelling since Saturday and by Tuesday the swelling had grown to Quasimodo proportions. At 3:30 in the afternoon I finally decided that I needed to see a doctor. A quick Google search brought up a clinic not far from my office: Primary Eye Care Group . I was prepared for the typical response “we are booked up but might have something available tomorrow afternoon.” That’s not at all what happened.

Gwen answered the phone and got my sad story of how bad my eye was doing. “Well, then we need to see you right away. Let’s make sure that eye doesn’t get any worse,” she said with southern charm and care in her voice. “Can you be here in 15 minutes?” And just like that I was off to see the doctor.

The front staff was friendly and accommodating. I did not feel I was at a medical office. The counter was low and open and the atmosphere was much more engaging than your typical sterile, high counter with a window type of exchange. I expected to wait for a while since I didn’t have an appointment and the waiting room was busy. However, I was in within 10 minutes of arrival.

Once the nurse got the history of my growing eye stye, she did a quick reading examination before offering me a cold bottle of water.  Dr. Young was in in not time, diagnosed the infected stye, wrote me a prescription, and told me he was concerned that the infection could spread so he would like to see me in a couple of days.

I was in and out in less than 45 minutes. Amazing. I could tell everyone there was not only friendly, but they were trained to maximize their impact. In my short time in the waiting room I saw how each Dr. in the practice walked their patients back to the front desk personally before shaking their hands and telling them goodbye. I noticed how the front desk team as well as the nursing staff always ended an exchange with “is there anything else I can do for you?” This is obviously an intentional strategy to make people feel valued and cared for. And it worked!

I posted a review on Google after my visit. I’m writing this post because of such positive impact. And, if you know me at all, I’m not an easy person to please. These guys could teach a thing or two to medical professionals, or any service organization for that matter. I wish they would.

What kind of experience did you have during your last visit to a doctor?