Interview with Scott Lindahl

Gary Barg: Scott, when we become caregivers, we find ourselves walking through this looking glass and immediately we're in need of all kinds of products, support and services we never thought existed or probably never even heard of before. What caregivers tell me is they're really looking for a trusted advisor to walk them through this process. Is that what you hear from caregivers that visit gotomedsupply.com?

Scott Lindahl: You're right, there are so many different products out there for people to choose from. And it's really hard to know what is the best fit for each person because everybody is different and our needs are different. So that's one thing that we really strive to do with our customers is, whether they call us or whether they send us an email, we make sure that we try and ask the right questions. Take adult diapers, for example. We'll go through and ask what type of incontinence issues they're dealing with. Even down to how many times a day are they changing so that we can, not only get them the right product but also, get them the right amount.

Gary Barg: It's really a one-stop shop. I remember when my grandfather took ill in the early nineties, I thought I had walked through the looking glass and it wasn't a pleasant experience. One of the things I like is you have a chat with the expert on your site, so immediately anybody could just get in touch with one of your experts, but also that you, do seem to cover the spectrum of what we need as family caregivers. I think it's really neat that you also have a segment you call patient care on your website. Can you walk me through that?

Scott Lindahl: Our, our patient care section is really geared towards caregivers actually. In that section, you'll find pretty much everything that you would need in order to care for a loved one. Whether it's exam gloves, cleaning supplies, linens and all those types of things that a caregiver would need. You know, Gary, you're right. One of the hardest things to do as a caregiver is to not get overwhelmed with all the different choices. So that's why we do have that chat with the expert on there. And just from my own personal experience, my mother-in-law was caring for her sister who was dying and has since passed. And one of her biggest complaints was going to a store and not really receiving any direction. On the incontinence side of things, we have an opportunity for people to consult with an e-nurse. We've partnered with a company called First Quality. They're great. All their products are manufactured here, but they offer some e-nurse services. So if someone feels like they need more info that we can't provide them, we’ll then get them in contact with an e-nurse to ensure that they're taken care of.

Gary Barg: We know First Quality, they're wonderful. They've joined us at our events, and we did a webinar with them, and it is about the people. I think, especially when you're providing a variety of services and products for family caregivers, it's that trust that counts. It's the fact that you’re family as well and that, you're, looking for a long-term partnership with that family caregiver as long as they need your services.

Scott Lindahl: Absolutely. My family has been in the healthcare industry since about 1960, starting with my grandfather. The number one thing has always been that customer service aspect and showing people that you actually care about their situation and genuinely want to help them. And that's something that my brother, Jeff and I have really tried to take on and in this part of the business is to carry that same mantra. You know, letting people know that we're here to help and that we do care.

Gary Barg: As a new caregiver, I'm told I need these certain products and I come to your site. From that moment on to when I get the product, how does that work?

Scott Lindahl: As soon as the caregiver would order, we immediately send them out an email with a confirmation of their order with the information that they would need to contact us if they had any questions. We ship everything UPS, so the following day they'll receive a tracking number from us as well so they can track and know when their packages are coming. Wherever the caregiver is in the United States, the products will normally get to them within one to two days. One of the unique things with us is we just charge a low flat shipping rate and our number one thing is to get it to you as quickly as we can. Whereas a lot of our competitors will, to get items that quick, they're going to charge you anywhere from twenty on up to fifty dollars.

Gary Barg: Is there an auto reorder?

Scott Lindahl: Yes. There is an auto reorder option that you can have it come to anywhere from every seven days up to every six months. For example, if you do a thirty-day order, it'll be a recurring order every thirty days from that first order.

Gary Barg: I imagine people call kind of panicked the first time.

Scott Lindahl: Yeah, some do. I had a call with a new caregiver that came to our site. Her mother lives out of state. She had just gotten this huge laundry list of items that they'd gotten from the doctor, for her to go out and get. So she called in a little worried. So I was able to go through and walk her through our whole process and build the order for her over the phone and set it up on a reoccurring. She needed it every sixty days. So now she feels much better knowing that all the products that her mom needs are going to be coming to her regularly. The great part is with those reoccurring orders is that we always let the caregivers know, when that order's placed, so they have all the information about what's coming and what to expect for their loved one. I think the one thing that really differentiates us, there's not many companies today that you can call in and know that you're talking with one of the owners of the business.

Gary Barg: And that makes a difference.

Scott Lindahl: It makes a huge difference.