Friday, November 09, 2012

Turn a Painful Process into a Pleasurable Practice

Riddle me this.

What do doctor’s appointments, getting haircuts, working out, tech support, taking pets to the vet, visiting the hospital, filling out forms, buying a car, sitting in waiting rooms and going to confessional all have in common?

They're experiences most people have always hated.

And in every business, there’s a parallel experience. Some transaction, some activity, some part of the process that customers usually view as a hassle.

This is the golden opportunity.

Paddi Lund, a renowned dentist from down under, completely redefined the patient experience. In his office, there’s no reception desk, cappuccino machines, fresh baked buns for clients, thirty varieties of tea in fine china, and an overall vibe of happiness unmatched by any dentist on the planet. His team members never leave and his customers are clamoring to buy his services.

He turned a painful process into a pleasurable practice. He gave people an excuse to spend more time doing something mundane. And he proved that the dental experience doesn’t have to be torture after all.

I wonder what activity, that people have previously avoided as a badge of honor, you could make them obsessed with?