You now need to nurture your new patients into becoming loyal patients and this all continues the moment they step through your door.
Visiting the dentist is a common fear that most people to have, so don’t give them any excuse not to come back. Therefore, we put together a few little things you can do from practice aesthetics to the front desk welcome. Making every touch point as smooth and painless as possible, which we know you will do anyway.
What does the inside of your dental practice look like? Is it clean, fresh, vibrant and trendy or does it look a bit dingy, dated and drab?
You will be surprised how important it is to make your dental practice look the part, think of it this way. How would you like to sit in a waiting room with peeling wallpaper and broken chairs? People are quick to judge and form opinions, let their thoughts be positive.
A smile and a warm welcome can put your new dental patient at ease, even if your receptionist is on the phone, just a little acknowledgement goes a long way.
Being asked how I am today, if I say I’m nervous then some reassurance would be nice. Make sure your team are aware of the welcome process and the standards you expect from your front of desk team.
People want their visit to the dentist to be as stress-free as possible, so your aim is to take the pain out of everything they encounter during their journey with you; not just whilst in the chair. This could be something as simple as filling in forms or having to update personal information.
The last thing a nervous patient wants is to be bombarded with a pile of paper forms to fill out plus their handwriting maybe difficult to read especially if they are shaking because they are nervous.
Tablets are slowly becoming the norm in dental practices giving people the ability to quickly update their information with a click of a button. SOE’s Clinipad is one example of this.
Do your patients know about all of your different treatments and services? Are they prepared for today’s appointment, do they know what to expect?
Another way to keep your patient relaxed is to help inform them as much as possible, this could be through posters in the waiting room, videos being played, even a quick brief giving by the front desk team. Even sending the out information pre-appointment can reassure your patient and let them know what they are expecting, this can be done by sending letters, emails or educational flyers.
Even during their appointment, talk to your patient to let them know what you are doing inside their mouth as they can’t see what is going on.
There are lots of different things that contribute towards making your practice great, even things you may not have thought about like comfy chairs, having a TV, a drinks machine and magazines, just remember to update them
Free Wifi, which is easy to connect to will give people the chance to use their phones while they are waiting, yes magazines are great, but people like to have the option.
This doesn’t need to cost a fortune but it’s something you can build up over time.
Your patient has just finished their appointment and it wasn’t too bad after all. Before they walk out the door, get your front of desk team to ask them how it was and if they would like to book in for another appointment.
For those bigger, scarier procedures why not send them a text or an email to see how they are doing?
Alternatively, if your patient has attended for a consultation, why not follow up with more information about that treatment, so they feel that all questions have been answered.
Another thing to keep in mind for those who say they are happy – make sure you ask them to share their thoughts via your chosen review platform as this is the perfect example of happy customers selling to new customers!
Even sending them friendly reminders that they have an appointment coming up with help the more forgetful minded patients to attend.
So, there are a few things you could be doing to make the experience a little more enjoyable, take a look to see how Software of Excellence can help you achieve this.