Decisions, decisions: Separating your practice from the rest

These days, patients are looking for so much more than low prices. Yes, in these economic times, people want the best value, but how they feel about your office and how they are treated by the doctor and his staff are just as important, if not more. From the moment the office opens until it closes, the doctor as well as the team are in the spotlight. They must be ready to give patients the best experience possible.

Ask yourself the following about your practice:

• Are efficient systems in place?
• Does the staff support the doctor as well as each other? Does the doctor empower and trust his or her staff?
• How is the communication within the office as well as outside the office?
• How is the climate of the office? Is the atmosphere warm and friendly or cold and clinical?
• Do all the conversations include the patient or parent as a participant? Or do you find the staff gossiping or discussing personal issues within earshot of the patient?
• Does the practice have outdated equipment? Are outdated procedures performed?

The patients and parents who come to your office will be able to answer all these questions. You, of course, would want them to be answered in a positive way. You want the office to have that WOW factor from the first time a prospective patient calls throughout his or her entire course of treatment. Many orthodontists have only so-so experiences for their patients. Differentiate your practice by going above and beyond and creating a great experience.

First, impress new patients by having efficient systems in place. Efficiency should start the moment a new patient calls. It continues when supplying the pertinent forms, gathering information from the patient and moving onto the new patient appointment and then contract signing.

When first on the phone with a prospective patient, the receptionist should get the needed information while connecting on a personal level, and this conversation should go beyond the time and date of the initial appointment. Who referred the patient to the office? Are there other age-appropriate children they would like to bring to the exam as well? Have they seen an orthodontist before, and if so, did they recommend treatment? The reception should get all the insurance information on the initial call so the treatment coordinator can verify insurance benefits prior to the consultation. If all of this information is collected from the outset, it will set the stage for the doctor, the treatment coordinator and the patient to have an efficient and productive new patient exam experience.

Of course, this efficient new-patient process is just the beginning. Once patients have started treatment, it is important to continue practicing efficient systems throughout their entire orthodontic experience. Creating a scheduling template that allows for efficient patient flow and minimal patient wait time is imperative to the success of a practice. It’s important to remember that patients and parents arrange their busy schedules to accommodate their appointments and expect the same consideration in return. They want to be in and out of the office as quickly as possible with minimal wait times. If you operate an efficient schedule, the patients and parents are happy, and their happiness equates to increased patient referrals and revenue.

Exceptional customer service starts with the new patient call, as well. Did the receptionist make the patient on the other end of the phone feel like he or she was important? Or did she make the patient feel like the call was interrupting what she’d been doing and was a bother to her?

Your practice can take customer service as well as communication to another level by calling the patient’s general dentist the day before the exam. During this call, the treatment coordinator should ask if there is any unfinished dental work that should be addressed prior to starting orthodontic treatment and when the patient’s last cleaning was. The patient will be impressed by your attention to detail. If the dental office is the referral source, the call is the perfect time to thank them for the referral, to let them know how much you appreciate their support and to set the stage for future referrals.

Communication between everyone — the doctor, staff, patient, parents and general dentist — is imperative in a successful practice. Communication can include letters, charting, emails, phone calls, a kind note or gesture, morning huddles, staff meetings, team-building exercises and more. Communicating with patients and parents should come easily and be genuine. Patients should be greeted by their name whenever possible, especially when they first enter the office and when walking out the door.

One of the best forms of communication that serves as exceptional customer service is to have assistants write a postcard to two patients each day. These notes might encourage better compliance, congratulate them on an accomplishment or wish the patient good luck on an upcoming event. Whatever the topic, these notes help the patient feel special and create a bond between the patient and staff. That’s the WOW factor!

In this day of instant electronic communication, sending a handwritten personal note makes a big impact. It shows the patient he or she is cared about and that you have taken time out of your busy day to offer your support. This is considered exceptional customer service!

Customer service extends to the atmosphere you create in your office. It’s easy to forget we are treating people and not just teeth. When a patient is in the chair, he or she is the most important person at that moment and should never be left alone for more than a few seconds. Patients especially shouldn’t be left alone for one employee to chat with another about what happened last night or after-work plans. These types of conversations should never be within earshot of a patient. Conversations should always include the patient. By team members and doctors taking an active interest in the patient, it shows how personable the office is, and the patient’s bond with the practice becomes stronger. A strong bond in turn generates more patient referrals. The greatest compliment an orthodontist can receive is a referral.

So you ask yourself, what makes your practice stand out? Stand-out practices feature exceptional customer service, efficient systems and scheduling, a supportive staff, effective communication and a warm environment. They also include a state-of-the-art mindset with an up-to-date office environment, equipment and procedures. Creating a stand-out practice will increase new patient starts, which in turn equals increased revenue.