Bellefleur on a mission to find ‘better way’ to serve clients

In a world where most fast-growing companies pride themselves on embracing the latest technology, Jason Bellefleur points to a decidedly old-school customer service initiative when asked what sets him apart from his competitors.

The co-owner and president of Bellefleur Physiotherapy in Orleans founded his own clinic in 2013 because, he says, he “just thought there’s a better way” to serve clients.

Among those things is putting a human touch on aspects of the physiotherapy process where customers might not typically expect it.

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For example, when a client of Bellefleur Physiotherapy refers another person to the St. Joseph Boulevard clinic, Mr. Bellefleur and his staff send the original client a handwritten thank-you card. On their birthdays, his clients receive cards in the mail.

It’s Mr. Bellefleur’s way of showing his appreciation to those who’ve entrusted him and his staff with their health-care needs. And yes, it’s definitely not high-tech, but that’s not the point.

“It always leaves a positive impression, and that’s what we’re about,” says the 33-year-old father of two young children, who received an OBJ Forty Under 40 award in 2016.

Not that he is turning his back on technology. Thanks to the clinic’s online booking system, clients can log in, check available timeslots and schedule their own appointments with the click of a mouse. Up to 20 per cent of the clinic’s customers use the system on a regular basis, Mr. Bellefleur says. “It’s just adding convenience,” he explains.

His staff also e-mails every client two days in advance of an appointment. If the clinic doesn’t hear back, staff follow up with a phone call to make sure no appointments are forgotten.

That customer-first ethos is reflected in the makeup of Mr. Bellefleur’s 12-person staff as well. While the clinic employs six physiotherapists with a wide range of expertise from sports injuries to TMJ and pelvic therapy, the other half of its workforce is composed of two full-time receptionists, two assistants who work evenings, an office manager and an operations manager – who also happens to be Mr. Bellefleur’s wife, Meghan.

Their job is to make the office run as smoothly and efficiently as possible and ensure that clients feel comfortable the moment they walk into the office. While many clinics employ just one person to run the office, answer phones, deal with insurance issues and respond to clients’ questions, Mr. Bellefleur says his office has enough staff to ensure that a client’s various needs are taken care of promptly and properly.

“We want to make sure that people who come into our clinic, there’s a person there ready to help them,” he says. “We’re really trying to get all the confusion out of the process.

“If you only hire one person to do two or three people’s jobs, of course they’re going to be overworked. That gets felt by the customers. We want people when they come in, they feel like we value them. Because we do.”