Moving on Up

10 tips from top mobility providers to put your company ahead of the pack.

By Liz Finch

Insurance and government regulations ensure that serving a community’s mobility equipment needs comes with its share of headaches. “This business takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and staying up late at night getting approvals processed,” says Michelle Jackson, owner of Frontier Access and Mobility Systems, Cheyenne, Wyo. But there also are many joys, and smart HME owners are constantly thinking up new ideas or improving on old ones to get ahead.

We interviewed some of these inventive providers, including Jackson, to get their best tips—both old and new—on how to succeed in the mobility niche.

1. Offer a Range of Products
When Jackson started her company, her accountant advised her to avoid stocking a too broad range of products. “She said I couldn’t afford to carry it all, but I felt that I couldn’t afford not to,” Jackson says.

By trying to be a one-stop shop, Jackson can offer customers the advantage of seeing the benefits of a variety of mobility and mobility-related products first-hand. “We handle everything from compression hosiery to high-end power chairs,” Jackson says. “We started out with very small lines of products and those lines have grown as we saw customer interest. We found that it is all related, so having a gamut of products is a better idea. Now we do not just make the store for people who need wheelchairs; we also make it for those who have tired, swelling feet or low back pain. We provide overall comfort items.”

Mobility product providers that are more specialized also recognize the benefit of variety. Mr Wheelchair Inc in Jefferson, La, focuses on customized chairs for pediatric patients and adults with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, by also providing standard wheelchairs, the company avoids sending these customers to competitors.

2. Let Customers Test Products
The ability to try products out can often close a sale. At Frontier Access and Mobility Systems, customers may even take a wheelchair home for a few days. “This is a small town and we have few problems with people not bringing things back,” Jackson says.

For those with a customer base that might not return loaned products, a large showroom can aid sales. Ken Bagot, CRT, sales rehabilitation manager of Mr Wheelchair, says his company keeps a lot of equipment on hand and wants to be able to show it to customers as opposed to having to bring it to them. His company is also looking into expanding its showroom. “You have to have the equipment anyway, so you might as well be showing it if you can afford the space,” he says.

3. Consider Your Showroom Location
While a nice showroom is generally a plus, whether it makes sense depends, in part, on location. A showroom in a low traffic area is of little use. “I can see why competition located in a business district does not have a showroom,” Bagot says. “We are located on a main thoroughfare so we get walk-in business.”

Frontier Access also is located on a main road in town, and thus has a showroom stocked with a number of demonstration products. “Our location and our habit of carrying a wide range of merchandise help secure sales,” Jackson says.

4. Incorporate New Technology
Another facet of a successful business is the careful selection of products—and that includes evaluating and often stocking some of the most cutting-edge options. Enloe Home Medical Equipment works with the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif, to offer high-end mobility products and power wheelchairs.

“As providers, we have to stay on top of new technology,” says Denise Arnold, department manager. “That is what gives one company a competitive edge over another.”

For example, Enloe invested nearly $10,000 in a pressure mapping system. The device is placed beneath a patient and hooked up to a software program that shows the areas receiving too much pressure.

“We work with a group of physicians to assess wheelchairs for safety issues, at which time we will do pressure mapping at no charge to determine if their patients are on the right cushion,” Arnold says. “Then we can readjust the cushions or add or remove air. That is a great way to generate revenue, because even for those we do not sell a cushion to, we usually gain a customer for life.”

Offering the latest technology in services, such as free pressure mapping, also impresses referral sources and sometimes even third-party payors. “The physicians are pleased and there is a cost saving for our hospital because these patients are not readmitted,” Arnold says. “Plus, this helps us with reimbursement. When a patient needs a specific cushion, for instance, we can attach a printout that shows exactly where the pressure is and shows relief with the appropriate cushion.”

5. Treat the Customer Right
Establishing solid customer relationships is very important to the success of any business, especially one that requires a lot of return visits for service. Many mobility dealers take pride in providing strong customer service, and credit it with putting their businesses above the rest.

“In our community we have probably six HME providers, so the only thing that differentiates us from the others is customer service,” Arnold says. “I know it sounds like a cliché, but that is what it is really about.”

At Frontier, Jackson takes pride in her staff’s dedication to making people comfortable when they walk in the door. “Some people are very uncomfortable in a store like this, so it is our job to make them feel at home,” she says. “We want to show them the benefits and features of several items before they make a decision. It is their decision and we want them to be happy with it. If we can identify how they will be using the device as well as the barriers in their environment, they might choose something more appropriate.”

Finding the most appropriate item for a customer—whether it is a simple manual wheelchair or a customized electric model—is a cornerstone of successful business. “We look at all the patient’s needs and see what would be the absolute best and what would give them the most function, then we factor in their funding source,” Bagot says. “In the course of our information gathering, it is very important to find out a thorough history from the customer. That includes all mention of past wheelchairs, which can block future billings, as well as insurance and other personal information.”

6. Offer Extended Hours
Customers looking for certain types of equipment appreciate being able to come in during their, their family members’, or their caregivers’ off-work hours. Frontier Access and Mobility Systems stays open on Saturdays. “You would be amazed at what you can sell on a Saturday,” Jackson says.

7. Let Billing Experts Meet Customers
The same providers who would not think twice about calling in an expert to fit a patient to the correct chair also know that investing in someone who knows reimbursement is crucial.

“We need to know what is going to be paid for,” Jackson says. “We do not want to show clients a high-end chair with a seat elevator, foghorn, and lights and then tell them it is not going to be paid for by Medicare.”

Enloe employees have conversations with the payor sources, and prequalify and preverify each order, Arnold says. “We also have the patient and an Enloe representative make a conference call to Medicare to confirm whether the patient will be covered for a certain device,” she says. “We do not want to get a remittance advice from Medicare saying that this same device was already provided. We need to know what their database says about this individual so there are no surprises.

“The advantage of a conference call is that the patient is hearing it when we are, so they do not think we are misquoting what was said,” Arnold says.

8. Honesty is the Best Policy
At Mr Wheelchair, Bagot says honesty is the key—both from the provider and on the part of the customer. “We try to be honest with clients, especially when it comes down to the ruthless HMO-type insurance companies,” Bagot says. “We also expect patients to keep us in the loop, because we need to have the right information to submit verifiable stuff in order to get paid. If we do not communicate with our customers and get the correct information, they are going to be dealing with the consequences of that. Either their chair will get picked up after a few months or the cost will come out of their pocket.”

9. Use Outside Resources
Jackson knows when to ask for help when it comes to reimbursement confusion. She regularly contacts her director of member education for the buying group, which is a free service. “She has been phenomenal in helping our business,” Jackson says. “There are many other resources out there for us, and we need to use them. I network in the community and am involved in my local chamber [of commerce] and in my church.”

10. Never Underestimate Cash
While reimbursement paperwork can take up a lot of time and energy, it is certainly not all—or even the bulk—of most business revenues. Many customers want what they want and sometimes only cash will get it for them. Mr Wheelchair sells most of its scooters through showroom displays and on a cash basis.

“We do well selling mobility products for cash and we discount greatly off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price,” Bagot says. “We would rather have the money now than in 6 months.”

Last of all, perseverance, dedication, and the ability to be flexible are always crucial to success.

Liz Finch is a contributing writer for Dealer/ Provider.