The Magic Ingredient
Quality customer service increases practice growth

Patty Spannagel

Patty Spannagel has over 16 years experience in dentistry, as hygiene assistant, treatment coordinator, office administrator and marketing consultant. Since 1996, she has worked as a practice management consultant for Futuredontics, Inc. Patty has visited more than 300 offices, providing practices with effective strategies for converting media generated referrals into patients of record. She is also a member of Toastmasters International, and as Vice President of Education, she provides training modules for improved public speaking techniques for people interested in improving their speaking skills.

We continually search for the magic formula that will convince a caller to seek treatment in our practice, while the true secret surrounds each of us every day. The magic ingredient is: quality customer service. Just look around at businesses that are successful. Think of your own pleasant experiences when you have interacted with these successful establishments. Successful businesses excel in the field of customer service.

Quality customer service is provided by people who have positive attitudes and truly care for others. Presenting recommended treatment and customer service are not separate functions. Our ultimate goal is to provide a service and satisfy our patients. We all want to feel important. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so caught up in our own feelings of importance that we fail to look at others’ needs of feeling important. When we focus only on their needs, and not ours, we are truly providing excellent customer service.

Each of us has specific expectations of every situation we experience. If our expectations are exceeded, we tend to look at the service provided as being special and we, too, feel special. In the dental office, it all begins with understanding what good customer service is—from your patients’ point of view. Patients have needs beyond the treatment rendered. They need to feel a sense of belonging; they need to feel important and know that what they do, say, or think really matters in your practice. One of the worst things you can do is to meet their expectations one time and then fall short on a subsequent visit. They want to be able to count on you and your service every time. Consistency is a very important part of quality customer service.

Establish high standards for customer service. After all, isn’t that what Walt Disney did when he created his theme parks? Even in Disney’s terminology, it’s not just “customers” entering the parks every day, but rather “Guests,” with a capital “G.” Do you imagine your patients as your “Guests?” As Guests, we should make every effort to provide them with a pleasant, positive experience. Giving patients a feeling of warm hospitality often exceeds their expectations of their visit to your office. A friendly greeting, addressing them by name, and a sincere welcome to the practice is the perfect way to start providing that feeling. We begin to create an atmosphere that allows our patients to feel they’ve made the right decision by choosing our practice. Let’s face it—our patients are our only reason for being in business. Our goal must be to satisfy and exceed the expectations of our patients, in order for them to return and to refer others to the practice. The amazing thing is, we have the power to do just that.

Why should they choose your practice over any other dental office in your community? We as consumers have been taught to shop around and make comparisons. How does your practice measure up? It all begins with the initial phone call to your office. The phone is the lifeline to our practices. Is it answered by someone who truly cares, and who views the call as an opportunity to provide service for another human being? Does this staff member speak in a clear voice, identifying the practice and him/herself? The caller can easily distinguish enthusiasm—or lack of it! If the staff member is not enthused, how can we expect an anxious consumer to want to come to see us?

As simple as these questions may sound, we must keep in mind that a caller determines if they will establish a relationship within the first 30 seconds of the call. Dental hospitality starts with the phone greeting. It then continues when a new patient walks through the door for the first time and is greeted by a staff person who cares that they are there. A warm and sensitive welcome when a patient arrives will help to reduce the anxieties of the apprehensive patient. Avoid having barriers in the reception area; glass and walls are barriers. A wrap-around counter is much more inviting. Greet patients by name and introduce yourself. Patients decide if they will like the dentist based on their first impression of how they were received and the appearance of the office. It is crucial to make that first impression a great one!

Exceptional customer service is made up of several individual components. It’s being able to listen and understand a patient’s perceived needs. It’s providing them with an experience that makes them feel important and valued. All of your efforts contribute to the patient’s evaluation of the services provided in your practice. This evaluation will be the experience they share with their family and friends—people who are potential new patients in your practice. Quality customer service can provide the growth in our practices that we are seeking.