Practice Production Prioritized: Five-star customer service to build your practice
As the CEO of a dental management consulting firm, I have met many dentists who are extremely proud of their practices-and deservedly so-over the last 40 years. Their clinical skills are excellent, their team is well-intentioned and working hard every day, and everyone is geared toward providing great patient experience. Customer service in most of these practices is good ... and while good is not bad, to truly create an exceptional practice I advise all dentists to make five-star customer service their goal.
Exceptional customer service is a must in dentistry
The truth is that most customer service is mediocre at best, and it is often less than mediocre when people are shopping. This is because people will trade customer service for better prices.
However, dentistry is different. Dental care is a personalized service where people are very excited to have exceptional treatment and have the expectation of being treated well. Some patients are even afraid of the dentist and want to be reassured they will not have a negative experience. In dentistry, everyone working in the practice has an important role in delivering customer service-from assistants to the front desk staff to the hygienists. Patients expect their interactions with their dental team to be pleasant at worst and exceptional at best.
Five-star customer service builds practices
One of the finest ways to increase the number of new patients and the overall patient base is to have an exceptional customer service program. This means that you are consistently able to exceed patient expectations. Implementing this level of service is best achieved by having a documented, proven, and tested customer service system.
Five-star customer service doesn't just happen by being nice or having a positive attitude, because that can have a hit-or-miss effect on different patients at different times. Having five-star customer service requires a system that is designed to exceed expectations and wow every patient, every day. For example:
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Give enthusiastic greetings. An over-the-top attitude and an excellent script let patients know that you are happy to see them and how much you appreciate them.
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Learn one new thing about every patient every time you see them. People like people who are interested in them, people trust people they like, and people buy from people they trust. They also refer others, write great reviews, are typically more cooperative, and accept more treatment.
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Check in with patients every five minutes during procedures to see how they are doing. This is the role of a dental assistant. Just checking in and having the basics of blankets, pillows, or even a television for patients in the treatment room can all be part of a system. Patients like little extras and it doesn't take a lot to make a great impression.
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Update the patient on how treatment is progressing. All too often patients just lay in the chair hearing nothing from the dentist until the procedure is completed. Reassuring patients is a powerful step in a customer service system.
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Thank patients for coming to the office. It is essential. Imagine implementing this script: "Mrs. Jones, it was a pleasure to see you today. We enjoy having you as a patient and look forward to your next visit." That is very different from "Thanks for coming. Goodbye."
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Doing the "little things." Calling patients at night, texting three or four patients every day as a follow-up, giving patients convenient appointments and knowing their favorite appointment time, and thanking patients for referrals are just a few of the options for extra things that you can do to "wow" patients. The key is to roll these options into a customer service system that can be followed the same way for every patient.
In conclusion
When you put all of this together, customer service can build great practices. The best part is that most of it is free, but you must recognize that you can reach a higher level and create a customer service system that allows that to happen. I can tell you from personal experience that many of the best dental practices also have the best customer service and this is not a coincidence.
