It’s time to take a hard look at your practice, staff, systems, and culture to evaluate the experience you are providing. Is it a “WOW”? Do your patients tell the front desk, “Gosh, I’ve never experienced anything like that before!”

Let me share an experience with you.I was at Starbucks socializing with a friend who is in dental sales. She mentioned her husband was interested in Invisalign. She encouraged him to talk to his dentist. She also encouraged him to ask the doctor to see some
photos of his completed cases.

He followed her recommendations. His dentist told him, yes, he was a candidate. When he asked to see some examples, the dentist said “I will email you some information”

He did receive an email about 2 weeks later but….. no actual cases.  It was another patient’s clincheck with their name marked out. That was it. No photos, no explanation!

My friend found out about another office for him to visit. He went in for a consultation which the office did at no charge. The chairside assistant took quite a few photos of him, his smile, and his bite. She put them on a BAM(big ass monitor) for him to see. I personally have always told patients, “we take photos so you can see what we see”. The chairside assistant explained his situation and pointed out a lot of things he was unaware of before the doctor even came in. Once the doctor came in, he allowed my friend’s husband to explain what he was interested in and what he would like to change and correct. 18 months later, he has the smile he was looking for. Plus, he changed his records to this practice all because of the “experience”.

Another quick story to share. I recently ran into a patient I took care of 15 plus years ago. He told me “no one has ever taken care of him the way I had”. That made me feel great. But, the more I thought about his comment, I realized it wasn’t because I cleaned his teeth any better. It was all about the experience.

It is possible to provide the “WOW” each and everytime. It starts at the top with a philosophy and creating a culture around that philosophy. Yes, it can take some time to develop that culture.It may even require in-office training for the staff but it will pay off in the long run.Each and every team member has to be on board and committed. If not, it will come across incorrectly. It won’t be sincere and may seem “salesy” or fake.

So, how much time does your office devote to team training, developing systems, and creating the ideal culture?

Do your homework. It can be learned if you are willing to learn. I promise you won’t regret it. By the way, it makes practicing dentistry so much more fun and enjoyable!