Someone has thought about a procedure for four years. She has not booked a consultation because she does not know whether she will be examined, whether she will be shown photographs of strangers, whether the surgeon will be there and whether she will be talked into something before she leaves.
Every one of those fears is addressable on a page.
Step 1: say who they will see
The operating surgeon, a different surgeon, a nurse or a patient adviser. Patients care about this more than any other detail and clinics frequently obscure it.
Step 2: describe the appointment in order
How long it lasts, what is discussed first, whether photographs are taken, whether an examination happens, who else is in the room and what they leave with.
Step 3: address the examination directly
Whether they will need to undress, what is examined, whether a chaperone is available and whether they can bring someone. Saying it plainly removes the largest unspoken worry.
Step 4: explain the medical history part
Existing conditions, medication, previous surgery and lifestyle. Patients do not expect this and should be told what to bring.
Step 5: be explicit about pressure
Whether a decision is asked for on the day, whether there is a cooling-off period, whether the quote is time-limited and whether a deposit is requested. A clinic that states there is no pressure, and means it, converts people who left another clinic feeling pushed.
Step 6: explain what they receive afterwards
A written quote, a summary of what was discussed, information on risks and time to consider. Patients want evidence they can read at home.
Step 7: publish the fee position
Whether the consultation is charged, whether it is credited against surgery and whether a second consultation is included. Being clear removes a hesitation that costs nothing to remove.
Step 8: explain what happens if they are not suitable
A clinic that says plainly it will tell someone when a procedure is not right for them is far more credible than one that implies everyone is a candidate.
Step 9: set expectations about risks
That risks and complications are discussed properly, and that this is a required part of the conversation rather than a formality, tells a patient they are dealing with clinicians.
Step 10: describe the cooling-off arrangement
Time between consultation and surgery, and what it is for. Where a mandated period applies, explaining it is reassuring rather than obstructive.
Step 10b: say what happens between consultation and surgery
Patients leave a consultation and then hear nothing, which they read as either pressure or indifference depending on the clinic. Setting out who contacts them, when, what pre-operative assessment involves and how a date is agreed turns the gap into a process rather than a silence they fill with doubt.
Step 11: capture gently at any hour
People decide at midnight after years of thinking, and capturing a request then is what converts them, which is the setup described in onboarding an AI employee.
Step 12: the wider handling
It follows cosmetic surgery consultation requests handled responsibly, cost sits alongside in finance and price questions before cosmetic surgery, and the pattern matches specialist clinics and the questions before a first consultation.
Getting started
Publish who they see, what happens, the fee and your position on pressure, then capture consultation requests at any hour. Setting up takes minutes with install the widget and train your bot. SpideyChat for clinics answers from your published pages.