Practice Production, Prioritized: 6 customer service recommendations that will revolutionize your practice

Practices that deliver exceptional customer service have a tremendous competitive advantage. Their patients enjoy coming in, enthusiastically refer friends and family, and leave glowing reviews. These practices aren’t luckier or naturally better at customer service—they simply have better customer service systems. 

Systems are the key to practice success. When done well, they create high levels of efficiency, production, and profitability.   

Your practice as a hospitality center 

Dentists attend dental school to become excellent clinicians. Yet many of our clients—despite having outstanding clinical skills—struggle with underperforming practices. Why? Because clinical excellence alone is not enough to drive high production and profitability. 

When implementing management systems that emphasize world-class customer service, we help our clients reevaluate how they think about their practices. We encourage them to see their offices as hospitality centers—no different from luxury hotels like the Four Seasons or The Ritz-Carlton. Practices that adopt this mindset consistently achieve greater success in a shorter period of time.   

Strategies to lock in high-level customer service 

Practices that are seeking to maximize their impact on patients should consider implementing the following strategies within their customer service systems. 

1. Give every patient a highly enthusiastic greeting

Greeting patients with genuine enthusiasm every single time sets the tone for the entire visit.  

Exceptional customer service begins with enthusiastic greetings that include smiles, eye contact, and warmth. Every patient should feel like the most important person you’ll see that day. 

2. Tell every patient how much you enjoy seeing them

A standard greeting like, “Hi, we’ll be with you in a few minutes,” may be customary—but it isn’t memorable. Patients should immediately know that you’re genuinely happy to see them. 

Whenever possible, remember a personal detail about each patient and use it to start a conversation. This small effort goes a long way in showing that you’re friendly, caring, and truly invested in them. 

3. Do your best to run on time

A powerful quote from a business school course that I took says it best: “Americans suffer more from time poverty than financial poverty.” 

People today feel rushed and overwhelmed. When they schedule a dental appointment—or any service—they want efficiency. Running behind schedule creates frustration and anxiety. 

While delays sometimes happen, a strong customer service strategy is to acknowledge the inconvenience. For example, offering a five-dollar coffee gift card to patients who wait more than 10 minutes shows respect for their time and helps turn a negative moment into a positive one. 

4. Learn one new thing about every patient each visit

Make it a goal to learn one new personal detail about each patient at every appointment. This is how relationships grow into friendships. When patients feel known and valued, they stay loyal, refer friends and family, and—when asked—are happy to write positive reviews. 

 5. Tell patients how well procedures are going

During treatment, patients hear unfamiliar sounds and see staff entering and leaving the room. Without reassurance, this can create unnecessary anxiety. 

Dentists and assistants should regularly let patients know how well everything is progressing and reassure them that they’ll be pleased with the outcome. This simple habit builds trust, confidence, and comfort throughout the visit. 

6. End every visit with a fantastic goodbye

The final impression matters just as much as the first. End every appointment on a high note by using a kind and consistent closing script. For example: “Mrs. Jones, it was wonderful to see you today. We truly enjoy having you as a patient and look forward to your next visit.” This small gesture leaves a lasting positive impression patients will remember. 

By applying these six strategies, you create a seamless customer service experience—from the moment patients arrive to the moment they leave.   

Summary 

Customer service is one of the most powerful ways to differentiate your practice. When exceptional service is integrated into effective management systems and delivered by a well-trained team, transformation happens quickly.

Patient satisfaction soars, referrals increase, online reviews become overwhelmingly positive, but most importantly, your practice becomes a place patients genuinely enjoy visiting. 

Editor's note: This article appeared in the April 2026 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.