There’s been a lot of talk in business publications in the past few years, about the importance of providing a high-quality service and experience. Customers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based less around the “what” and more around the “how does this make me feel?”
Your customer service has a very real and tangible ability to affect your bottom line – so it’s important that you keep it top of mind. Great customer service can be the difference between a successful business, and a practice that practically bleeds patients…
If you’re looking to revamp or freshen up your customer service, here are some fundamentals to make sure you’ve got covered.
Start With Staff
When you’re in the hiring phase, there are a few attributes you should consider the barrier to entry. At the bare minimum you want someone who at least likes working in dentistry – otherwise that’s just asking for trouble!
According to V. Kumar, author of the book Managing Customers for Profit, we should also look for empathy, consistency, and patience in new hires.
While experience is vital, Kumar acknowledges it can be a double-edged sword. Too much experience can result in someone who comes across as pedantic or condescending; too little, and they won’t know how to handle delicate situations.
So, what’s the sweet spot? Three to five years.
Cater To Your Clients
At the end of the day, you need to know your patients and what their wants, needs, and preferences are. Are you working with a tech-savvy crowd who like online booking, chat bots, and text confirmations? Or do your patients value the personal interaction of a phone call?
Part of understanding your Ideal Patient Avatar will help you answer these questions so that you can tailor your patient experience and customer service accordingly.
Make It Easy
Think about all the touch points a patient has with you from the moment they discover your practice – either online, in the flesh, or through some other means. Then audit those touch points and consider how you can make them easier or more pleasant.
Could your website be easier to navigate? Maybe you could include parking details in their confirmation email? Or would signage on the street make it easier for them to find you?
People will choose the path of least resistance every time, so make your practice the obvious and most enjoyable choice. Tiny tweaks can make all the difference in someone’s day!
Just Ask Them
It’s very difficult for you to see your practice the way your patients do. You have certain blind spots to potential stumbling blocks and irritations that might be affecting the way your patients feel about your practice.
Don’t underestimate the power of simplicity here – you can just ask.
Talk to your best patients and ask for feedback. People are often happy to share their thoughts and experiences, and will always be glad to hear that you value their opinion. They might have something on their mind that will make all the difference in your practice, but it doesn’t occur to them that you might be interested.
Make It Your Focus
If you focus on giving your patients the best possible experience, they will never want to leave.
Great dentistry is essential, but it’s not always enough.
You need to give your patients the best care you can, from the very moment they come into contact with your business.
You need to make it as easy as possible for new people to start using your services.
You need to go the extra distance to cater to you clients.
And if you’re not sure how to improve things, just ask your patients.
You might discover how much they already value you – and gain a few golden nuggets of information on how you can improve their experience further.
P.S Want to scale your dental practice and take your profits to 7 figure success?
Me and my team can work with you directly to get you there! Simply book in your FREE 1:1
strategy session, and we can get started on a game plan for you and your practice.
