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Creating the Perfect Practice With Customer Service
Imagine for a moment what the ultimate dental practice would be like. Imagine that you are a patient in that practice. What type of practice would you, yourself, like to patronize? What would the facility look like? How would the staff look and how would you like them to treat you? Would you prefer a “stuffy professional” environment or one with a lighter, “happy” mood?
I have been pondering this question for some time now and believe that the “perfect” dental practice for everyone will never exist. I do, however, believe that the closer you come to offering outstanding customer service, the healthier your practice will be.
A few years back, a new dentist would move into town, put his shingle out and instantly be flooded with all the patients he could handle. There was a shortage of dentists and no one had even heard of “expanded duties.” Today, the average dentist can see a lot more patients than in the past, and there are a lot more of us. So today, a new element has entered the picture -- the element of competition. Like it or not, we are in a customer service business and we must compete for the patients we receive.
How do you get customers in your chair? There are many ways, both internal and external. Some dentists choose to have others do the marketing and send them patients through HMO’s and PPO’s. Patients are sent to the “provider” dentist by a third party who does all the marketing. In return, the dentist reduces his normal fees 30 - 40 percent or more. Other dentists refuse to join these organizations and do their own marketing. Many do a combination of the above.
In this article, we are going to concentrate on how to boost your internal marketing efforts. What kind of atmosphere would you have to provide to generate all the referrals you desire? What type of practice, staff and doctor would you want?
Everyone is different, but I believe that most of us would prefer:
- A beautiful, spotless facility, full of state-of-the-art equipment
- A friendly, competent and happy staff
- A caring and capable doctor – one who will settle for nothing but the best
- A staff that adheres to OSHA standards
- A staff with attractive, healthy smiles themselves
- A place where they would handle most of my dental needs and not refer me all over town
- A staff that knew me and called me by my name
- A staff that really cared about me as a person
- A staff that made sound financial arrangements and left me with no surprises
- A staff that is updated and informed me of all the new advances in dentistry
- An office that offers reasonable fees and financial options
Furthermore, I would like to be greeted by a receptionist who knew my name -- a receptionist who offered me a cup of tea or a glass of juice when I arrived. I would like her to hand me my favorite magazine. I would like her to make me feel really special and I would really appreciate it if I did not have to wait for over 15 minutes.
I would like to see the same hygienist and dental assistant each visit. I would also like them to call me by my name and treat me as if I were very special. I would like the doctor to treat me as if I were a true friend. I would appreciate a follow-up call by the doctor or staff on any extensive treatment. If I had a problem with sensitivity or anything else after treatment, I would appreciate follow up until that problem was resolved -- not just a “call us if it keeps on hurting.” I might also appreciate nitrous sedation, music and gentle injections. Acknowledgment for referring my friends and relatives would be nice -- maybe a phone call thanking me, a little gift or a movie ticket.
Do you get the idea? In summary, I would want a staff and doctor to treat me as if I were one of the most important patients in the world -- as if I were famous -- a movie star or a famous athlete!
Now in reality, we all know this scenario will never happen. But the closer you come to giving your patients this kind of experience, the more they will reward you. We all have those special patients that we treat as if they were royalty. What do you think would happen to your internal referrals if you approached this level of service with all your patients?
There is no end to what you can do internally to enhance the patient experience, but almost everything that you do will increase internal referrals. Have your patients fill out business reply “comment cards” that let you know how you are doing on a daily basis. Call everyone that has had an injection. Have a clean, modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment. Deliver dentistry in a happy atmosphere. Go out of your way to give the patient a positive and happy experience.
Try adding a bottled water cooler, coffee, tea or a juice bar to your reception room. A color TV can be great for showing your patients all the wonderful things modern dentistry has to offer. Your patients will really appreciate these additions. Nice gestures do not cost a lot, considering how much good they will produce.
Another suggestion is to dedicate a staff meeting to see what you can do to improve your customer service. Ask each staff member to bring in a minimum of three ideas (two of which would not cost much to implement) to enhance the patient experience in your office. Go over all the ideas and discuss them. Decide upon an action plan and then implement the changes.
Treat your patients special -- reward them for their referrals, send out a newsletter and send out thank-you notes. Get imaginative -- knock their socks off with service! Get everyone involved and then sit back and watch the results.
Ultimately, if a practice really worked at these concepts, I believe they would have to turn away patients! So, in summary, the ultimate secret of success is no secret at all -- it is simply outstanding customer service.
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