Transforming Physician Waiting Rooms with Scent Marketing

Remember the days of going to the doctors office, and the waiting room was merely filled with rows of chairs and out of date magazine subscriptions? Sure, in more recent years some healthcare providers also added tv or digital signage to try and entertain patients, but for the most part patient waiting rooms are often an overlooked (and under used) area of healthcare practices.

How patients perceive you and your practice often starts with your waiting room. And, with today’s average patient wait time exceeding 25 minutes consumers have become increasingly frustrated with the patient care experience.

You want patients’ to have a positive perceptions and experience when visiting your practice, and a well-designed scent marketing strategy can set a positive tone for office visits, reduce patients stress and frustration and even decrease patients’ perceived wait times.

Let’s take a look below at how you can transform your waiting room with the power of scenting.

#1. Reduce Patient Fear/Anxiety

Scenting your waiting room may be one of the most effective tools you can use. Ambient environmental stimuli can influence people’s mood, cognition, and behavior, so a little scent can go a long way in making your patients less stressed and more comfortable. In fact, a study by NCBI on patients’ anxiety in a waiting room of a surgeon revealed that the right  scent (and in combination with music) significantly reduced the level of patient’s anxiety. One Florida hospital MRI center uses a vanilla scent as a way to help curb claustrophobia and tension, the result is a decrease in the number of people who need sedation and a 50% drop in cancellations.

#2. Reduce Perceived Wait Time

Scent is a very important aspect of the waiting time experience that seems to be overlooked by many businesses. Smell has got a large impact on a customer’s mood, behavior and emotions toward your brand. When certain seductive scents are used, it not only creates a lasting brand impression, but when you engage patients with refreshing scents as they’re waiting to be served it reduces perceived wait times versus the actual wait time.

#3. Enhance the Patient Care Experience

Scent enables customers to recall a brand and better communicate the brand’s attributes and creates positive associations with the experience. The use of scent improves environments and enhances moods, making your customers feel better. By creating an environment that appeals to our sense of smell, scenting allows businesses to   connect with customers on an emotional level in a powerful yet subtle way.  It’s creating enduring and powerful impressions through a full sensory marketing strategy that enhances your brand image and influences the way your customers behave while creating a positive memorable experience, encouraging loyalty to your brand.

Final Thoughts…

Think of your waiting room as part of the overall patient care experience. From the moment they enter to time they leave, you want your patients to feel good about choosing you as their healthcare provider. Scent Marketing instills confidence in you as their physician, helps them relax, and encourages them to look forward to their next visit.

Want to learn more about scent marketing, and the numerous benefits it can have on your business? Contact us, and we can customize a scent strategy that perfectly aligns with your brand and marketing objectives.