I was getting my haircut the other day and the appointment was going great. Great until the stylist (no longer barber) asked if I had the day off. I answered, “yes I do.” and then I waited for the follow-up question. Then it came about fifteen seconds later. Stylist, “so what do you do for a living?” Feeling my stomach ache I said, “I am a chiropractor.” She simply stated “Oh”. So, sensing some level of rejection I quickly asked if she loved or hated chiropractors. I chuckled as I stated that today there seems to be little in between when it comes to my field. I paid for the cut leaving a large tip (smooth things over) and left. I thought why is our field this way? I only have theories at this point but they go something like this.
Cook, bottle washer and chiropractor (theory number one)=
Have you ever seen a chiropractic hospital? Or a clinic with more than ten chiropractors in it? No. At least not around these parts. Why is that? Well, it boils down to the fact that chiropractors are basically forced into running a business from top to bottom and having to be the best chiropractic doctor as well. Running a business is HUGE! There is marketing, demographics, hiring, firing, accounting, billing, clerking, computer work, chart filing etc….
Whoa! Something has to give. What gives? Very often the doctoring of chiropractic gets watered down. What I mean is that they are so focused on the bottom line they forget whom they serve. What terrific clinical knowledge they should use to help the world is shelved as they are figuring out how to be a businessman. No hospitals or large clinics for chiropractors to go to and make six-figure salaries. Just tough streets and a sign to hang. Now you know why you see a chiropractor on every corner.
Things start to get tough with the business and the chiropractor starts to outsource the marketing, accounting, and really the direction of the company so they can try and focus on the patient.
Conclusion:
Soon the marketing firm is coming up with pitchy sales and a canned approach to making money. So tired at this point, the chiropractor starts to take direction from the marketing firms on how to be a chiropractor! Soon the chiropractor is treating according to the marketing firms and really upsetting patients with bad service and half-truths. To paraphrase Yoda, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
A person comes into chiropractic office already fearful and usually in pain and leaves sometimes in anger while still suffering.
Recent Comments