You may not be aware that five-star customer service will increase your practice production. The reason you may not be aware is that it’s hard to quantify the value of customer service. However, most people know the definition of five-star customer service, or at least think they do. In reality, providing this level of service is relatively rare. Most practices, with great pride, believe they provide five-star customer service, but in reality, they are probably three- or four-star. That is not bad, but it is not the same as five-star. The reason is simple.
Five-star customer service is where a practice can truly set itself apart. Think of it as crossing a threshold or reaching an inflection point. When your practice begins to provide five-star service, you start to see patients referring other patients, accepting more treatment, not being as concerned about fees, staying with the practice longer, and other benefits that all lead to increased practice production. No one would argue that more new patients, higher case acceptance, greater patient longevity, and patients who are more willing to accept fees would increase practice production.
But the next question is why? Why does customer service—which has nothing to do with clinical care—translate into higher production? The reason is that in a five-star customer service environment, patients develop trust. The result of excellent service is trust, and trust is the reason that people refer, accept more treatment, write more positive reviews, and stay with practices longer.
Your goal is simple—to become a five-star customer service practice. In order to achieve this, you will need somewhere between 10 and 12 powerful customer service strategies that are used with every patient, every time, every day.
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in DE Weekend, the newsletter that will elevate your Sunday mornings with practical and innovative practice management and clinical content from experts across the field. Subscribe here.
Roger P. Levin, DDS, CEO and founder of Levin Group, has worked with more than 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, he has written 67 books and more than 4,000 articles, and regularly presents seminars in the US and around the world. To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit levingroup.com or email [email protected].
