One of the disciplines that is not taught in dental school and rarely taught in dental continuing education is customer service. Almost every dentist would agree that customer service is important, if not essential, in their practices. However, we often confuse customer service with clinical excellence.
Dr. Roger P. Levin.
As a dentist who was in practice for 10 years and working for the last 39 years as the CEO of a dental management consulting firm, I continually observe that dentists confuse clinical excellence with wowing patients and creating high levels of loyalty. Unfortunately, what they are missing is that most patients cannot judge the quality of clinical care. They simply assume it is excellent, but they are making that assumption based on how they are treated as people.
This article will review three rules of customer service that will allow any practice to delight patients and increase production.
The 5 rules of customer service
Rule No. 1: Exceed every patient's expectation. It is not enough to simply meet patient expectations. For the most part, patients don't want to spend money on dentistry or be in a dental office. They come because it's now viewed as a life necessity. However, practices can transition this general thinking into what we call the "wow factor effect" that has patients leaving the office happier than when they came in. How do you exceed patient expectations? Make customer service a priority every day for every patient. Consider implementing the following:
- Greet every patient by name warmly and enthusiastically as they enter the practice.
- Learn one new thing about every patient every time they come to practice.
- Have the dental assistant check in with patients in the exam room every five minutes to see how they are doing.
- Offer patients blankets, pillows, towels, or anything else that they need to keep them comfortable.
- Offer the patient a beverage during a case presentation.
- Call patients in the evening to see how they are doing.
This level and display of interest create friendships and bond patients to the practice long term. It also increases referrals.
Rule No. 2: Make sure patients leave with more energy than when they came in. Energy is hard to quantify, but we all know it when we see it. We've all had the experience of meeting a low-energy salesperson or restaurant server that made our experience less pleasant. They were not necessarily rude; however, their low energy brought your energy down.
You might now realize it, but energy has a directly proportional relationship to the level of trust. High-energy people are trusted more than low-energy people. The reason is that the recipient, in this case, the patient, believes in what the dentist and team members are telling them when it is conveyed with high energy.
How do you create a high-energy environment for patients? First, everyone comes to work with a positive attitude every day. No exceptions! This comes from the leadership, meaning the dentist, and the culture. Levin Group teaches what we call a "culture of positivity" to every office. You want to create a culture of positivity where positive people emanate energy to each other and patients. Not only does the internal state of the office improve instantly but so will the patient experience. Positivity gives patients energy.
Second, you want to use positive language wherever and whenever possible. Use positive words like "great," "wonderful," "terrific," "fantastic," "incredible," and "amazing." If any patient gives you a negative comment, return with a positive one. Do not focus on what patients did not, cannot, or would not do. Focus on what they can do and how you can help them.
Rule No. 3: Always focus on the patient. First, answer all questions while making eye contact. Don't look down, look at a chart, read from the computer, etc. Look at the patient and answer the question. Second, follow up by asking the patient if your answer was clear enough, if they would like more information, or if they have another question. Third, if you don't know the answer to a question, find out.
Summary
Exceeding every patient's expectations every time is achieved by consistently repeating the best customer service principles consistently over time. When you apply the principles and strategies outlined in this article, you will delight patients, create better experiences for both patients and the team, and increase referrals of family and friends. Production always increases along with customer service, which is why it should be part of your standard regimented training programs. Customer service can help practice in many ways, and all it takes is improvement in this critical area to enjoy the benefits.
Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
