Customer service is the most important thing in business. This is a fact. It doesn’t matter how great your product is or how effective your marketing team is, if your customer service is poor, people will quit buying from you. The consumer is more well informed and communicative than ever before and they will always find a way to get the product or the service they want.
Don’t let your clients ever question if there’s a better practice around. Show them how important they are to your business every single time they come in. Don’t hire receptionists who are grouches and unfriendly to people. Instead, hire receptionists that are great at making a connection with people as they enter the room.
The reality is that with dentistry, times and appointments are always subject to change. Because of this, by the end of the day, most patients have been waiting for close to an hour past their scheduled appointment times. They’ve taken time off. They’ve scheduled this appointment. They’ve chosen your practice and now they’re waiting in your office. They’re not in a great mood and a great receptionist can often be the difference in them coming into your chair with a positive demeanor or in the express lane to being upset about everything.
Customer service must be emphasized because it is the foundation from which you have a wonderful opportunity. Through great customer service, you’ve gotten yourself a massive list of people who are satisfied with their decision to come to you, and thus you have a massive list of potential marketers. They would love to suggest you to their neighbor or to a loved one, because they were treated so well and the treatment they received was ideal. Once you’ve got your promotional army, it’s time to deploy the troops and utilize these three methodologies for making your customer success into your practice’s continued success.
These practices have made an immense success of Karl Jobst, Grove, OK. He has spent his career treating his clients like gold and watching as they turned their friends and neighbors into gold as well. Utilizing these principles, his practice has flourished and thrived through changing economies, new competition, and advances in technology.
Encourage Word of Mouth
This one is incredibly simplistic. It’s a method that’s been utilized since the invention of language and the need for promotion. Utilize word of mouth. Start integrating a “tell your friends about us” at the end of your interactions with your patients. While they would love to help out their favorite dentist, it’s never really occurred to them to do so, and they’ve definitely never figured out how they could. Let them know. By doing this, you’ve created a question with an answer for them: How can I help? Tell a friend!
According to dentist Karl Jobst, Grove, OK, “We do our very best to treat each patient extremely well, and we have an exceptionally low turnover rate as a result. We get most of our new clients through referrals, which I think is the most efficient strategy for our particular business.”
People like to have the answers to questions. They tend to enjoy telling each other what they should do. That’s why there’s so many “know-it-all” types who love to correct people and guide them. They want to tell their friends and family about your dentistry, it’s just never occurred to them. Place that idea into their minds, and watch it blossom.
Bring a Friend Campaign
Having a referral program is a fantastic way to incentivize your patients to spread the word. Introduce a program in which they’ll receive some sort of compensation for referring their friend. Perhaps even give the new client whose been referred a discounted rate as well.
The specifications are up to your choosing in terms of discount percentages. Just remember that perception is everything. Just because two percent of a million dollars is two thousand dollars doesn’t mean that people naturally equate the two percent with the save value as two thousand dollars. Make the discounts numbers that sound more substantial.
Remember that this all hinges on your customer service. Even if you’re giving a great discount, most people won’t subject their friends to a service they don’t fully support.
Never Forget Customer Service
Above all, customer service is key. The quality of service you provide your patients is what makes all the difference in the world. If you’re great, they’ll tell the world. Satisfied customers will want to help you, they just need pointed in the right directions. Provide them a point in the right direction and they’d be delighted to help.
