By: Amanda Jozsa, DDS

A typical day in dentistry can be full of twists and turns. While so much can be out of our control with what patients bring to us, our response is within our control. Great customer service is not only the foundation of patient care but also an empowered place for our team to be focused. Instead of waiting to see what the day throws at us, our team can be focused on how to provide the best care to our patients. Providing a great patient experience is an easy way to build raving fans of your practice. Raving fans refer their friends and family leading to a continuous supply of new patients without increasing your marketing budget. Intentional focus on customer service takes great care of your patients and helps the team to stay focused on things within their control which also increases morale and decreases marketing spend…sounds like a major win!

A system that has proven successful for providing exceptional patient experience called, “Ten Steps to Five-Star Service.” Implementing all or some of these ideas in your practice will have a great impact!

STEP 1: FIRST IMPRESSION
The patient’s first point of contact with the office matters. Whether it is the website or on the phone, take time to evaluate what patients are learning about the practice from this first engagement. Is the website updated, user-friendly, and reflective of who you are as a dental provider? Does the administrative team understand how important they are to a great patient experience? Are they trained to answer the phone (every time) with a smile. Are they focused on being knowledgeable, helpful and caring? Especially on a new patient call, is the administrative team working to build a relationship with the patient and getting the information necessary to set the whole team up for success with the patient’s appointment? Does the team feel they are “just” answering the phones and collecting data, or do they realize they are an integral part of a great patient experience?

STEP 2: YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE
What does the appearance of the office say about you and the practice? Take time to walk through the office and experience it through the eyes of a patient. Is the lobby welcoming? Are the operatories clean from the view of the patient? Things look different from the patient chair and details matter. Is the space reflective of the practice’s clinical vision? Is it warm, inviting, clean and well-designed? The physical space tells a story about the office. Is it the story you want to tell?

STEP 3: TEAMWORK AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
Think about a great day in the office, think about the team, are they getting along and supporting each other? Committing to having a great culture is not just a gift to the team, it is a gift to patients. Teams with great cultures are experienced by patients differently. Do not kid yourself into thinking office drama is not impacting patient experience.

STEP 4: NEW PATIENT CALL FROM THE DOCTOR
Any time we can go above and beyond for a patient with minimal effort and expense, why wouldn’t we? Having the doctor take the time to call new patients before their upcoming appointment to introduce themselves and see if the patient would like them to know anything prior to their upcoming visit is a way to surprise and delight the patient. In addition to calling patients before the appointment, do not underestimate the value of care calls after treatment. Again, these are not time-consuming, nor do they require a lot of effort, but they have a lasting impact on patients.

STEP 5: HOURS AND CONVENIENCE
Are you helping patients get care at times convenient for them? Consider offering early mornings, later evenings, or the occasional Saturday. How do you know what times may be good to add or expand hours? Ask your patient population what hours and days would be helpful to add and keep track of requests that are outside of your current hours.

STEP 6: TECHNOLOGY
Technology can help increase treatment efficiency and minimize patient time and visits to the office. Take time to reflect on what technology you are using in your office and what technology you could add to enhance your clinical care and patient experience. If you have technology do not hesitate to educate patients on how it improves outcomes. Do not take this investment for granted, help patients understand why you use it and how it adds to the level of care in the office.

STEP 7: NO LONELY PATIENTS
Have you ever been left alone in a medical office without any clarity as to how long you will be there and what is going on? Do not replicate that experience for your patients. Proper room setup means less time out of the operatory. When time allows, is the team coached to take the extra moment to check in with the patient and talk with them? When a patient will be waiting in the operatory take the time to let them know how long their wait will be and help them understand why the wait is occurring. Finally, check if they need anything prior to leaving them alone to add a higher level of customer service.

STEP 8: ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS OF THE TEAM
Anytime a patient will be interacting with a different team member there is an opportunity for a handoff. The information transferred is critical to the patient’s experience. Great handoffs help set the team up for success. Great teams have high-level communication. Teams that commit to excellent handoffs and practice them through role play do them better. Nobody likes role-playing, on the other hand, everyone loves a great handoff, and the time investment is worth it.

STEP 9: THE PLATINUM RULE
This may be the most important step. Treat others how they want to be treated. How do you know how patients want to be treated? Ask! Take the time to ask what is most important to your patients, do not assume. Listen to their answers with your best active listening skills and record them. Active listening and communication are skills that once mastered pay dividends in customer service.

STEP 10: THE FINAL IMPRESSION
Make sure you land the plane! Thanking the patient for coming in and asking them about their experience are imperative to helping them leave the office on a positive note.

At the next team meeting, take the time to survey the team on how they think the office is scoring in these areas. Use these steps as a roadmap to an awesome patient experience. Is your road open and flowing or full of speed bumps
and gridlock?

Dr. Amanda Jozsa lives in Denver, CO. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in 2010. She owned two dental practices in the Denver area and practiced for 10 years prior to the onset of a genetic tremor in her hands. Dr. Jozsa loves the business of dentistry and the gifts it can bring to our patients, our teams, and our own lives. She transitioned from practice ownership and chairside dentistry to helping people in a new way through executive coaching at Fortune Management and can be reached at dramandajozsa@fortunemgmt.com.