Giving your clients a little something extra - The concept of lagniappe
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The other day, I visited my friendly local dentist for my six-month checkup.
As I was leaving, I received not only the traditional toothbrush, but also some
floss and, wow, a little supply of toothpicks in a carrying case. This might not
sound like much to you, but consider this: Have you ever been driving along on
your way to an important appointment only to discover you had something stuck in
a tooth?
As I was contemplating this generosity, I ran across a wonderful word –
lagniappe. Pronounced “lan-yap” or “lanny-yapp,” the word means “a little
something extra, a bonus.” You could also say it’s something thrown in for good
measure. The 13th donut in a baker’s dozen is lagniappe. If you are a fan of
Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy, you’ll remember the phrase, “Lovely parting
gifts.” These are lagniappe (unless you don’t have a hankering for press-on
nails).
The word has Creole or Cajun origins, and the custom is believed to originate
in the Spanish quarter of New Orleans. Certainly the spelling is French in
origin. Mark Twain ran across the word “lagniappe” while traveling to New
Orleans, and he called it “a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get, a nice
limber, expressive, handy word” (in Travels on the Mississippi).
In the modern world of customer service, the concept of lagniappe is a useful
one to remember. Giving your clients or patients something extra has several
benefits:
• Receiving lagniappe makes people feel special. Ask a child what he
remembers about the doctor’s office and most likely he’ll tell you it was the
sucker he received on the way out. • Giving lagniappe differentiates you from
your competitors. • Giving lagniappe helps people remember your practice and
your services, like the pen you give with your practice name on it. • Giving
lagniappe helps tie you to your customers. When people receive something for
nothing, they feel a sense of obligation to the giver. This could make them more
likely to give back to you, possibly by referring others or just making them
feel obligated to come back. A perfect example is the little gifts given by
charities, to get you to feel obligated to donate to them. There’s nothing evil
in this concept; it’s just human nature to want to give back in return; it’s
called “reciprocity.”
The possibilities for lagniappe are limited only by your imagination. Here
are some possibilities, just to get your creative thinking process started: •
When a new patient fills out paperwork, give him/her the pen to keep. Of course,
it has your name on it, but it is still a nice thought. • If your new patients
have a lot of things to take home with them, give them a folder or canvas bag to
carry everything in. • Give a cookie to clients who fill out a satisfaction
survey. • Provide a coupon for a free ice cream cone to every patient on
“patient appreciation day.”
Some tips for using lagniappe:
1. Keep it small and simple. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make
people feel special. That pen you give to new patients should work, but it
doesn’t have to be expensive.
2. Don’t do it all the time. If you gave out presents every time a client
came into the office, it wouldn’t be lagniappe. People don’t value what is
expected. Only give once in a while. The exception to this is children; they
expect that lollipop every time they come in, and you and their parents won’t
have a good day if they don’t get it.
3. Give on unexpected occasions. Avoid the traditional holidays and
celebrations and find a meaningful day on which to give lagniappe. One doctor I
know sends Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas or Hanukkah cards, to express
his gratitude to patients who have been with him for a year.
4. Finally, the best lagniappe is a sincere “thank you,” which costs nothing
and gives huge payback.
About the Author
Copyright 2007-2008 Jean Wilson Murray, MBA, PhD. Dr. Jean Murray has been
advising small business owners since 1974. As the founder of Planning for
Practice Success, she specializes in assisting health care professionals with
business plan construction and startup details. She can help you gain the
knowledge to act and the confidence to begin.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2008-06-24 09:28:37 in Marketing Articles
