As new online tools continue to change the way that patients find their local dentist, practice owners are finding a renewed trust in the power of excellent customer experience to draw them in.
As a dentist and business owner, you need to be aware of what uniquely sets you apart from your competition. In other words, why should a patient come to you for their dental needs and not the practice down the street? One major difference that can tip the scales in your favor simple – delivering an excellent patient experience, not just from the moment they walk through your door, but when they leave as well. This idea is called Surprise and Delight and all it boils down to is giving your patient a great experience in a way they weren’t expecting, which in turn delights them and turns them into a promoter for your business. Here are some great examples on how you can surprise and delight your patients to ensure they have a great patient experience, meaning repeat visits and more referrals for you:
Always follow up
Even if your practice doesn’t lend itself to something that unique in and of itself, remember that through email marketing (and helpful tools like RevenueWell or SolutionReach), you can always set up a follow-up email to check in with your patient and see how they are doing. Your practice can leave a much better impression if, after a patient goes in for their appointment, they got an automated email from the front desk asking you how you were feeling, and if you had a nice experience at the office. It’s a simple yet powerful action, and all hinging on the very easy to enact task of a personal follow-up email.
This is also useful for birthdays, holidays or even better- some other personal event that you learned about from a patient.
Personalized notes
With so many dental practices for patients to choose from, receiving something as simple as a handwritten “Thank You!” note after a patient comes in for their first visit can make all the difference. It’s easy to believe that thank you notes have lost their impact over time, but the fact that texting and email is our main form of communication has actually made the handwritten note a bit of a lost art, allowing notes to leave an even larger impact today than it would have in years past.
Creature comforts
One of the best ways to make sure your patients keep coming back is to help them feel as comfortable as possible from the moment they walk through your doors. Simple amenities such as a coffee and beverage station, iPads or play areas for children can go a long way toward patient happiness. Also, offering sedation options to patients who have anxiety about visits to the dentist will ensure that your patients will be comfortable despite any phobias they may have.
Give away a freebie
Reciprocity is a powerful psychological trigger, and that it doesn’t take much for a gift to leave an impact. Small gifts to customers (a free toothbrush after their first cleaning, etc.) are nothing new, so finding a way to go above and beyond with your freebie is critical! Having a great new patient special, such as free whitening trays, is a step in the right direction. However, try coming up with even more personalized freebies, such as a small birthday gift you can send to a patient or a Starbucks gift card if a patient was left waiting too long.
Keeping it human
When your front desk responds to patient inquiries, try not to copy and paste a pre-crafted response and send it off. Always try and respond in a way that any human would. If you respond to someone who recently had a child, tell him or her congrats!
A great patient experience begins from the moment they interact with your website and send their first inquiry, and that experience continues long after they’ve completed their first appointment with you. Taking advantage of every interaction you have with a patient and using it as an opportunity to surprise and delight them will help you build a strong network of patients who love to promote you to their friends and family. All it takes are some small gestures to show your patients that you care!
